Ban on junk food advertising before 9pm to be introduced next year
A 9pm watershed on junk food advertising on TV and online will be introduced next year, Health Minister Andrew Gwynne confirmed in a statement on Thursday.
The Labour government will also enforce a total ban on paid-for online ads as part of their plans to tackle obesity in children.
“These restrictions will help protect children from being exposed to advertising of less healthy food and drinks, which evidence shows influences their dietary preferences from a young age,” Gwynne said.
This comes after the government has been urged to take “radical” action - such as expanding the sugar tax and banning the sale of energy drinks to youngsters - in a bid to tackle “staggering” levels of tooth decay in children across England.
A joint report from the Child of the North project and the Centre for Young Lives, a think tank founded by former children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield, said ministers should “ignore any accusations of a nanny state”.
Among its recommendations is a call for the government to develop a national child oral health strategy with a focus on reducing sugar consumption.
The organisations suggest this could be achieved by expanding the so-called sugar tax to include sugary milk drinks.
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The report also calls for restrictions on the sale of energy drinks to under-16s, optimising fluoride exposure, and bolstering access to dental care.
Tooth decay is the most common reason for hospital admissions among five to nine-year-olds in England.
According to the report, it is also more common among families living in deprived areas, with “much higher levels” of tooth decay in children in the north of England.
Ms Longfield, executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said: “It is staggering that so many children, particularly in the north of England and those living in low-income families, are now growing up with tooth decay and suffering from toothache and discomfort.
“This can affect their quality of life, sleep patterns, eating habits, and impact on school readiness and attendance.
“Many children are not only missing out on NHS dental healthcare but are more likely to suffer tooth decay from a younger age,” she added.
Earlier this year, figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) showed there were almost 50,000 tooth extractions in NHS hospitals in England for patients aged 0 to 19 in 2023.
During the period, hospital admissions for childhood tooth extractions cost NHS hospitals £64 million, with decay-related extractions costing £41 million.
Paula Waterhouse, president of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, said: “It is time to establish an oral health strategy for children and young people across England."
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