Banned: Unhealthy advertisements aimed at kids in the metro in the Netherlands

As a result of the proposal put forward by Alderman of Health, Eric van der Burg, advertisements promoting unhealthy food to children will be banned from 58 metro stations in Amsterdam, including the stops on the new North-South line.

Initiative to stop unhealthy food promotion in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is partnering with Alliance Stop Child Marketing (Alliantie Stop kindermarketing) and taking measures to tackle the unhealthy adverts aimed at children up to the age of 18.

Promotion of unhealthy food for children is not only banned from metro station billboards, but also at events and activities subsidised by the municipality and at municipal sites. The new measures will affect around 200 shelters, three large billboards and 52 digital signs in and around the Amsterdam metro.

This initiative falls under the much larger Healthy Weight Approach project in Amsterdam (AAGG), in which the municipality, along with partners such as the public health service (GGD), are trying to address obesity in children.

Now is the time to tackle advertisements

The new rules regarding unhealthy food promotion happen to fall into place at the same time as the tenders for the advertising spaces. The procurement of these spaces takes place once every 15 years, hence the decision to act on the content of the advertisements now. “Children have the right to grow up in a healthy environment”, Eric van der Burg explained. The new measures will come into force on January 1, 2018.