No More Candy in the Checkout Aisles: The UK Government Will Ban It
Kids are so happy in the supermarket once they get to the checkout aisle. It’s the heavenly part of the store, where all bright colored sweets are waiting to be taken. It’s the place where kids either sneak some out, or where they plead with their parents to get some.
The UK calls these aisles – “guilt lanes.”
Parents can now rejoice, as the UK government plans to ban grocery stores from filling them with sweets. This is a measure in a new strategy developed by the health secretary Jeremy Hunt. He plans to fight childhood obesity through more steps. One of them is also to block TV programs (starting with 2020) from showing ads with sweets before 9 pm. Future bans will also include promotions like “buy one, get one free” for sugary products. Celebrities could also be banned to appear in junk food ads.
This measure is to limit children be exposed to unhealthy foods. Quebec has had a ban on fast-food advertising targeted at children under 13 in both printed and electronic media since 1980. A study conducted in 2011 showed that Quebec families purchased 13% less fast food with the help of the ban.
An OECD report from 2017, shows that other countries have banned junk-food advertising aimed at children. Chile, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, and other countries have taken his step.
Major UK supermarket chains have announced this spring that they will no longer sell energy drinks, or any drink with more than 150 mg of caffeine/liter to kids under 16.
The government might make the ban industry-wide. The new strategy notes that there is a “large numbers of retailers who have not imposed such a restriction.” They stated that:
“It is important for us to create a level playing field for businesses so that retailers that take action on this issue are not disadvantaged, and to stop children from simply switching from one retail outlet to another to buy energy drinks.”
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.
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