Junk food ads to be banned on buses and Metro as mayors back Jamie Oliver campaign
Kim McGuinness is among nine UK mayors to have today committed to backing Jamie Oliver’s ‘AdEnough’ campaign to crack down on outdoor junk food advertising
by Daniel Holland · ChronicleLiveJunk food adverts will be banned on bus and Metro services in the North East, in an effort to help youngsters who are “bombarded” by unhealthy products driving childhood obesity.
Kim McGuinness is among nine UK mayors to have today committed to backing Jamie Oliver’s ‘AdEnough’ campaign to crack down on outdoor junk food advertising, having previously pledged to so when challenged by the TV chef during the North East mayoral election campaign earlier this year.
The move will mean that unhealthy food promotions will be banned on the Tyne and Wear Metro and on local bus services, once the mayor’s plans to take control of buses away from private operators are finalised. However, it is unclear at this stage exactly when the new rules will come into force.
Such a ban is already in force on tubes and buses in London and will now be replicated by mayors in eight other areas – also including Greater Manchester, Liverpool, and North Yorkshire. Mr Oliver called the public health initiative a “much-needed and vital step towards creating healthier, happier communities”.
According to a recent Newcastle City Council report, 11% of reception-age children and 26% of those in year six in the North East are classed as obese. Ms McGuinness said: "By working together, we send a clear message to junk food companies - and align with broader national efforts to restrict junk food advertising – that the days of targeting children and young people with predatory advertising for products that harm their health are over. Enough is enough.”
Mr Oliver added: "It’s so brilliant to see the mayors stepping up, committing to this bold initiative and banning junk-food ads in their public spaces. It’s a much-needed and vital step towards creating healthier, happier communities across the UK, where our kids aren’t constantly bombarded with unhealthy messaging around food. Of course, there’s still a long way to go, but this is a great start.”
Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said the number of junk food ads seen on billboards and bus stops was “not fair, and it’s affecting our health”. She added: “Children exposed to junk food adverts are more likely to choose unhealthy foods. This evidence-based policy is an important move to reduce the risk of diet-related diseases like obesity and Type 2 diabetes in young people.”
Join our WhatsApp communities
ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities.
We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all!
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community
Join our Court & Crime community
Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community
Join our Northumberland community
Join our County Durham community
Join our Great North Run community