The process of democratic institutions and values taking over the world after World War II was accompanied by the emergence of a neoliberal system that globalized industrial production (Harvey, 0000). However, this process has created clashes in which profit-oriented companies abuse the human rights that democracies are responsible for preserving. As a result, debates centred on the arguments that free market activities should be limited to preserve individual and public good. In parallel with these discussions, constraints on the economic activity of the industries involved in alcohol and tobacco production, known as UCIs (Unhealthy Commodity Industries), require special attention (Gilmore et al., 0000). This is because, unlike many other profit-oriented industries, the products of UCIs are consumed by billions of people worldwide, harm public health due to their addictive nature, and cause the death of millions annually around the globe. Consequently, all stakeholders interacting with these industries—namely governments, the WHO, and the media—must counterbalance the interests of these profit-driven companies in the name of public health. In light of this necessity, this research, motivated by the question of how regulatory policies on controlled substances are influenced by incentives beyond public health, adopts a critical perspective. It argues that governments neglect the alcohol and tobacco-related public health concerns of their citizens to protect the high levels of profits of UCIs. Moreover, the World Health Organization is ineffective on this issue due to its limited advisory and advocacy roles.