We’re not the first to propose protecting children from unhealthy food and drink advertising in places they commute, learn and play. In fact, it’s already been done to great success across Australia and around the world!
Read on for some outstanding examples of governments that put a stop to unhealthy food and drink advertising on their resources to protect community health, and never looked back.
The ACT removed advertising for unhealthy food, alcohol and gambling on all government-run bus services and light rail in 2015. The changes apply to all foods considered unhealthy under the Australian Dietary Guidelines and associated Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Data12 from one year after the policy was introduced shows the changes did not negatively impact advertising revenue.
In 2019, London successfully removed junk food advertising across the Transport for London (TfL) network, which sees an estimated 30 million journeys every day. Post-implementation, advertising space on all Transport for London property, including buses, trains, trams, river services and bus stops, became free from unhealthy food and drink advertising.
Many companies responded by promoting their healthy products instead of unhealthy foods. In the 12 months following the ban, researchers found the policy was associated with an estimated 1,000 calorie decrease in energy from unhealthy food and drink purchases in people’s weekly shopping, compared to what was expected without the ban. The changes have not impacted Transport for London’s advertising revenue.3 Many UK councils have since adopted similar policies.
Malcolm Clark, Senior Policy Manager at Cancer Research UK, helped advocate for these positive changes. Watch our interview on the right to hear why he believes Victoria should follow suit!
In February 2022, the Mayor of New York City signed an executive order, effective immediately, requiring that all promotional materials and advertising on city property regarding food must feature healthy food. This includes any street furniture, bus and bike shelters, newsstands and phone booths.
"If we want to encourage New Yorkers to be healthier, the city must set the tone,” said Mayor Eric Adams.
In 2018, the City of Amsterdam removed unhealthy food advertisements that target children on billboards in all 58 subway stations across the city. The ban applies to all advertisements for unhealthy products targeted at children under 18, to help support all kids in Amsterdam to grow up in healthier environments. This initiative is part of the broader Amsterdam Healthy Weight Programme, launched in 2012.
The programme also saw Amsterdam win the 2019 City European Health Award for successfully contributing to a healthier environment for children to grow up in.
Portugal approved a law to restrict unhealthy food and drink advertising aimed at children (under 16) in 2019. The restrictions apply to public spaces within 100 meters of pre-school, primary and secondary schools and public playgrounds across the country.4
In 2018, the Queensland Government announced it would phase out junk food advertising on state-owned assets to improve diets and reduce childhood obesity rates. The proposed change would apply to over 2,000 advertising spaces, including train stations, bus stops and road corridors across the state, and cover advertising for all food and drinks that exceed the threshold for fat, salt and sugar as set out in the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
These places have shown what is possible when we put health above industry profits. Now Victoria has an opportunity to protect our kids from the processed food industry! Together, we can make a difference.
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Cancer Council Victoria would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work. We would also like to pay respect to the elders past and present and extend that respect to all other Aboriginal people.