Disappointing delay to junk food advertising ban

The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) is extremely disappointed to learn that the Government plans to delay the ban on junk food advertising, due to come into force in October this year.

Greg Fell, ADPH President said:

“89% of deaths in England are caused by non-communicable illnesses and disease, often linked to the consumption of harmful products like unhealthy food and drink. The simple fact is that these deaths, including from many cancers, respiratory, heart and liver disease, are preventable.

“The consumption of unhealthy food and drink is not the result of personal choice. The reality is that with healthy alternatives around three times as expensive as unhealthy options, and our consumption habits heavily influenced by clever advertising and marketing campaigns that are backed by multi-million pound budgets, we simply don’t have the freedom to choose.

“There is no quick fix, but we know from our experience of tackling tobacco harm, that one of the key ways to reduce illness and death caused by harmful products is to introduce tighter restrictions on advertising those products.

“There is a wealth of evidence to say that this will work and yet a comprehensive ban has been repeatedly delayed.

“Again, we just need to look back at how the tobacco industry lobbied to retain their influence to see that the industry giants behind harmful food and drink are using the same tactics. To reduce the numbers of people dying from avoidable disease – something this Government has promised to do – industry voices must be taken out of the equation and the advertising ban should be introduced as planned.”