The Heart Foundation is this week welcoming the launch of the South Australian Government's ban on unhealthy food advertising on its public buses, trains and trams, calling on other states and territories to follow suit.
The new laws ban unhealthy food advertising from Adelaide Metro buses, trains and trams to reduce the influence of such advertising on people's dietary choices, particularly children.
The unhealthy food items which will no longer be able to be advertised on public transport and at train stations include chocolate, lollies, confectionary, desserts, ice creams, soft drinks and chips.
South Australia is the only other jurisdiction alongside the Australian Capital Territory to introduce the ban.
Heart Foundation South Australian General Manager, Claire Gardner, thanked the South Australian Government for its action and called on remaining states and territories to implement similar bans.
"We welcome this ban. The decisions we make when young impact our chances of developing coronary heart disease later in life," Ms Gardner said, "and unfortunately it is evidenced that foods advertised frequently on public transport contain high levels of salt, saturated fat and sugar."
BACKGROUND
The Heart Foundation conducted a literature and evidence review prior to making its submission to the South Australian Government's consultation process on the new laws.
The review showed consistent evidence that unhealthy food and beverage marketing influences dietary patterns among children and leads to weight gain and obesity, with some of the key findings globally and locally including:
- In the United States, it was found that for every 10% increase in outdoor food advertising in a neighbourhood, residents had 5% increased odds of overweight or obesity.
- Children in Australia are also heavily exposed to unhealthy food marketing during their commutes to school. Per one-way commute to school, children in Perth were found to be exposed to 37 discretionary food advertisements when using public transit, and 22 advertisements when walking to school.
- Furthermore, in Sydney in 2022, 83.4% of bus and 84% of train advertisements were for unhealthy foods.
- A recent Cancer Council report showed that almost 80% of food and drink advertisements South Australian children saw on their way to school, prior to the new legislation, were promoting unhealthy food and drinks.
- A 2015 ACT audit undertaken by the Heart Foundation showed that 80% and 86% of the food and drink advertising in major shopping centres and sport venues respectively was for unhealthy food and drink products.
- The audit further reported that placement of food advertisements was common in places frequented by children, including near schools, children play areas at shopping centres, on school bus route shelters, inside cinemas and supermarkets.
- Additionally, an Australian study found that primary schools had an average of 57 food billboards nearby, with 80% of these containing advertisements for unhealthy foods, drinks or alcohol.
