Nine UK mayors have signed up to celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s campaign to ban junk-food advertising.
The mayors have pledged to support the ‘AdEnough’ campaign to help stop children being exposed to unhealthy food advertisements on public transport.
The commitment means that any mayor introducing bus franchising powers will ban the adverts, with the same ban introduced on metro systems.
North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said the move sends a ‘clear message’ to junk food companies.
‘[T]he days of targeting children and young people with predatory advertising for products that harm their health are over. Enough is enough.’
Jamie Oliver, chef and campaigner, commented: ‘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.’
Gerry Taylor, spokesperson for the commercial determinants of health for the Association of Directors of Public Health, welcomed the announcement.
‘89% of deaths in England are attributable to largely avoidable illness and disease which is linked to the consumption of unhealthy food and drink, including many cancers, respiratory, heart and liver disease, and mental health disorders,’ he said.
‘We know that unhealthy food and drink advertising influences both purchasing and consumption of these harmful products. It therefore makes absolute sense to introduce tighter restrictions on advertising in order to support efforts to reduce the numbers of people experiencing – and dying – from these conditions.’
The full list of mayors backing Jamie Oliver’s ‘AdEnough’ campaign:
North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness
Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram
South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard
Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith
Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan
