• New restrictions on junk food and drink adverts on Combined Authority-owned sites
• Liverpool City Region committed to improving health and tackling health inequalities
• Proposals include ban on vaping ads and review of gambling and alcohol

A clampdown on junk food and high sugar drink advertising across publicly owned assets is set to be introduced under plans to be considered by the Combined Authority.

Mayor Steve Rotheram has long championed restrictions on junk food and drink ads and last year joined other UK mayors in support of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s #AdEnough campaign, which calls for an end to harmful junk food marketing in public spaces.

This week the Combined Authority will discuss the proposed advertising policy that supports promoting healthier lifestyles and tackle deep-rooted health inequalities across the city region.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:

“Where adverts appear on publicly owned infrastructure, they should work in the public interest.  In some of our communities, children are growing up surrounded by adverts for products that damage their health – we’re putting a stop to that.

“Too many families are living with the consequences of poor diet and ill health – and it’s no coincidence that the most impacted communities are often the poorest. I don’t think it’s right that, in places people rely on every day, including advertising sites across the bus and rail network, we normalise products that we know are causing harm.

“By using the assets we control, we’re sending a clear signal about the kind of city region we want to be: one that puts people before profit, backs healthier choices and is serious about tackling the deep health inequalities that dramatically limit people’s lives.”

In the Liverpool City Region, 63.5% of adults in Liverpool and up to 78.3% in Halton are classified as overweight or obese, showing the scale of poor diet‑related health locally.

Local data shows junk food adverts appear six times more often in the most deprived parts of the city region, where children are 40-50% more likely to have excess weight than their peers in less disadvantaged areas

The policy would limit the promotion of products and services that contribute to poor health, particularly food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar, (HFSS). ), defined by the Public Health England’s Nutrient Profiling Model.*The existing ban on tobacco ads will be extended to cover vaping products and a review of gambling and alcohol advertising  will inform future versions of the policy.

Applicable to the assets under its control, the Combined Authority’s proposed new policy would bring it into alignment with the region’s local authorities in taking a stand for public health as part of a growing movement to protect residents from the influence of unhealthy food and drink advertising.

If approved, the policy would also support a wider strategy to address the stark health inequalities across the region, where residents in the most deprived areas can expect to live significantly shorter lives than those in more affluent neighbourhoods.

The Combined Authority will work with advertising partners to ensure the policy is phased in appropriately, implemented fairly and effectively and is guided by national guidelines and advertising rules, with a focus on long-term impact.

The policy is expected to evolve and be reviewed periodically with the Combined Authority working with local councils, health partners, and other transport authorities to ensure a consistent approach.