INDEPENDENT NEWS

UK extends child junk food advertising restrictions

Published: Mon 12 Dec 2016 12:58 PM
The independent reported this week that the UK government has extended an existing ban on junk food advertising aimed at children. This legislation now includes online and social media advertising. The full article is here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/junk-food-ads-children-advertising-banned-ban-online-social-media-ofcom-a7462521.html
It is reported that these changes will bring print, cinema and online and social media into line with television, where strict regulation already prohibits the advertising of unhealthy food to children
Junk food advertising is now to be banned across all children's media – including online and social. This has been hailed by the Independent as a landmark decision to help tackle childhood obesity in the UK.
The new rules will ban the advertising of food or drink high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) across all non-broadcast media targeted at under-16s from July next year, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) said.
These changes bring media such as print, cinema and online and social media, into line with television, where strict regulation already prohibits the advertising of unhealthy food to children.
The ban targets ads that directly or indirectly promote an HFSS product from appearing in children's media or other media where children make up more than 25 per cent of the audience.
These new restrictions also apply to TV-like content online, such as on video-sharing platforms or 'advergames', if they are directed at or likely to appeal particularly to children.
A ban on companies using promotions, licensed characters or celebrities popular with children in ads for HFSS food or drink will be partly lifted for the advertising of healthier options.
The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority has announced that it will be introducing a new childrens code for advertising food. The new code has been strengthened with changes along the same lines of the UK code coming into force in early 2017.
However – the Heart Foundation while commending these changes, has suggested that these code still does not go far enough in a Press Release on Scoop in October 2016.
Do you think these advertising standards go far enough?
Could more be done to limit advertising to children?
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