Ireland should follow UK’s example on junk food ad ban
Green Party Chairman and Health spokesperson John Gormley TD urged the Irish authorities to follow the example of the UK, which today announced a ban on the advertisement of junk food during children’s TV programmes. The British communications regulator Ofcom announced a total ban on junk food advertising around all children’s programming, on children’s TV channels and around all programmes that have a ‘particular appeal’ to under 16-year-olds.
“Although the British ban does not go far enough and ban all advertising before the watershed, it is a very positive move that should be immediately copied by the Irish authorities. It has been argued in the past that Ireland could not unilaterally ban junk food ads because we receive so many UK channels here which had such advertising. That argument no longer stands up.
“The Health Minister Mary Harney must recognise once and for all that childhood obesity is one of our most serious health problems. She set up a task force on obesity but the recommendations of their report remain largely unimplemented. It’s time for her to take on the vested interests – in the food and advertising industries – and insist on a ban on junk food advertising to help protect the health of kids in this country.”