Healthy public policy argues for a revitalised public health policy, in which the HEA should play a major role. The paper's main contention is that the HEA must help give health promotion greater national prominence by becoming an active advocate for the public health. A central task for the new Authority will be to press for a national health promotion policy based on the World Health Organisation's 'Health for all' principles. The paper goes on to highlight seven key areas where the HEA should play a major role in developing sustained long-term health promotion programmes: smoking control; coronary heart disease; alcohol abuse; diet; ageing well; preventive medicine and A.I.D.S.