SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 30/09/03

The Scottish Socialists have begun moves to support the Consumer Council and other agencies which have called for the end of junk food advertising to children.
Carolyn Leckie MSP, the Scottish Socialists health spokesperson, has sought a meeting with the Parliament’s Non-Executive Bills Unit to discuss the framing of a Private Members Bill outlawing junk food advertising in Scotland.
Miss Leckie said,
“Now that we have proof from the Food Standards Agency that the advertising of junk food to children definitely affects what they eat we have to act.
"The food industry has known that for donkeys years and has spent billions targeting our kids to persuade them to eat junk. I’m examining whether we could introduce a law outlawing the advertising of junk food to children in Scotland.
"We believe that we could introduce this measure given that there was an earlier proposal from the SNP to outlaw tobacco advertising which was ruled as competent because it was a health related issue.
"If our children’s diet isn’t a health issue nothing is. We have to act now if we want to give today’s children a decent future. We believe that a law banning junk food advertising would go hand in hand with our free School Meals proposal in starting to change Scotland’s dietary habits for the better”.