Structural prevention is about avoiding disease by society working systematically with prevention. Today, we work with physical prevention when we exercise, eat healthily, avoid smoking and drink less alcohol. Socially and mentally, we work with prevention when we spend time with friends and family or have alone time when we need it. Finally, we prevent stress and contribute to mental health with mindfulness, by scheduling contemplation time in our daily lives, or by unwinding daily in whatever way works best for us.

We know the recommendations. Our healthcare sector has been trying to communicate them for decades. Over the past 15 years, working in the Danish Health Authority, the regions, municipalities, hospitals and private workplaces with prevention and health, it has become very clear to me. We know what we need to do to prevent, but we fail to do it in practice.

The reason why most people don't incorporate preventive measures into their everyday lives is that we are not good enough at prioritizing efforts in the midst of a busy life. As citizens, we need help, and structural prevention is one of the tools. Structural prevention is about changing workflows, legislation and rules so that the healthy choice becomes the easy choice. We have a government that recommends a health reform where children born after 2010 should not be able to buy tobacco and children and young people under the age of 18 should not be able to buy alcohol in shops. This is an example of structural prevention. As a preventionist, I welcome policies that help us with health and structural prevention. The next step is to put it into practice.