Banning Advertising to Children: Lessons Learned from the Quebec Model

1. Banning Advertising to Children: Lessons Learned from the Quebec Model Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's HealthMay 4th, 2011 Quebec Coalition on Weight-Related Problems

2. Weight Coalition • Created in 2006 • Sponsored since 2008 by the • Concept inspired by the Coalition québécoise pour le contrôle du tabac • A well established voice to work toward change • Supported by over 100 partners Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

3. The Coalition’s Mandate • Obtain the required support • To make demands for changing legislation and regulations and public policy in three strategic areas: • Agri-food industry • Sociocultural • Built environment • In order to encourage the development of environments that help in making healthy choices and will contribute to preventing weight related issues. Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

4. Screen consumption and its impacts on health Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

5. Time Spent in Front of a Screen • Children • • 2 hrs per day during the week • • 4 hrs per day on the weekend1 • Montreal adolescents • average of 30 hrs per week in front of a screen • 20 hrs in front of a TV • 10 hrs in front of a computer2 1- Gilles Pronovost, "Emploi du temps et pratiques culturelles", from the Institut de la statistique Québec, Enquête sociale et de santé auprès des enfants et des adolescents québécois, 1999. 2- Dr Tracie A. Barnett, 2008. Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

6. 40,000 ads per year Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

7. Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

8. Screen Overexposure and Obesity • Children that spend more than 2 hours per day in front of the TV are: • • twice as likely to become overweight • • twice as likely to become obese • than children who spend 1 hour or less in front of the TV / day1 1- Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 2.2, Nutrition (2004) Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

9. Food Industry’s Advertisements Groupe de recherche Médias et santé - UQAM, Jean-Philippe Laperrière M.A.(2010) Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

10. Calorie Intake in Front of TV 1 additional hour of television = Consumption of an additional 167 calories especially the calorie-dense, low-nutrient foods frequently advertised on television Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

11. Advertising and the Obesity Epidemic The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized “heavy marketing practices of energy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods” as a factor contributing to weight gain and obesity Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

12. Brand Recognition • Children between 3 and 5 years old: • Recognize logos • McDonald’s has the highest rate of recognition with 93% • Associate brands with popularity and certain values • Fast food = “fun, exciting and tasty” • Cola brands = fun because “the bubbles are fun” and “lots of people like them” Cornwell B., McAlister A., Children’s Brand Symbolism Understanding: Links to Theory of Mind and Executive Functioning, Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 27(3): 203–228 (March 2010). Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

13. Banning Advertising to Children: The Quebec Model Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

14. Consumer Protection Act Prohibits commercial advertising aimed at children under 13 Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

15. Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act • Article 248 • Subject to what is provided in the regulations, no person may make use of commercial advertising directed at persons under thirteen years of age. • Article 249 • To determine whether or not an advertisement is directed at persons under thirteen years of age, account must be taken of the context of its presentation, and in particular of: • a) the nature and intended purpose of the goods advertised; • b) the manner of presenting such advertisement; • c) the time and place it is shown. L.R.Q., chapitre P-40.1, 1978, c. 9, a. 248-249 Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

16. DeterminingAdvertising’s Target Audience Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

17. Lessons Learned from Quebec Model Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

18. Scope of the Law: Listening Periods • Is not adapted to: • multiplication of TV channels • new technologies (TV presence on Web) • marketing beyond traditional advertising Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

19. Showcase Containers Labels Magazines for children Displays Packaging Show advertising Exclusions: Application of the CPA R.R.Q., 1981, c. P-40.1, r. 1. 19 Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

20. Listening Periods Laperrière, J.-P. (2010) . Travaux de maîtrise. Groupe de recherche Médias et santé – UQAM. Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

21. Investigation Process: “Chaotic” • Energy drink aimed at children • Associated with a website, a TV show, and collectible cards • Code on the can granted access to the website to play online Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

22. Surveillance Resources? Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

23. Igor Muffins Marketing Campaign Saputo P2P Publicity Promotion Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

24. Burger King pleaded guilty for the ads included in its free collectible toys Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

25. McDonald’s pleaded guilty for its self-promotion clips during the program Ciné-Cadeau Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

26. General Mills pleaded guilty for Lucky Charms’ website Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

27. Quebec – Canada Contrast Access to Froot Loops Website in Quebec Access to Froot Loops Website in other provinces and territories Childrenaged 6 to 12 Complete access to the website’sgames. • Childrenaged 6 to 12 Unable to access the websitefurther. www.frootloops.ca Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

28. Public Opinion on Marketing to Children Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

29. Quebecers’ Support • 9 out of 10 Quebecers think that it is necessary to specifically control advertising targeting children • 91% of Quebecers think that the Consumer Protection Act banning advertising targeting children under 13 should be enforced “more severely” (60%) or “as severely” (31%) SOM survey for the Weight Coalition in 2007 Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

30. Canadians’ Support • 82% of Canadiansthinkthatthe marketing of unhealthy food to children should be restricted • 64% of Canadiansthinkthat advertising targeted at kids should be banned in Canada • Omnibus e-survey from Ipsos Descarie for Weight Coalition in 2010 • Method : An Pan-Canadian omnibus (web survey) was conducted among 2,000 canadien respondents - conducted from April 22nd to 30th, 2010 - margin of error of +/- 2,2% is associated to a sample of this size Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

31. What about the rest of Canada? Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

32. Currently… • Self-regulation by advertisingindustry: • Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (administered by Advertising Standards Canada, governs all forms of advertising) (1963) • Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children (1971): complements the Canadian Code, commercials intended for children under twelve undergo a 2nd pre-authorization) • Advertising Standards Canada: evaluates and pre-authorizes commercials before broadcast, governs public complaints (non resolved complaints are presented to the Consumer Response Council, which may demand that the advertiser modify or pull out their ad). Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

33. Self-Regulation Limits • Self-regulation is not enough to limit children’s exposure to advertising • Malleable definition of criteria by the industry • Advertising to childrenremainsallowed • Canada’s position? Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

34. Provincial Legislative Changes • The case of British Columbia • Amending the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, which explicitely prohibits deceptive marketing practices, to add a provision similar to the one in Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

35. Provincial Legislative Changes • Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act • Addfollowingparagraph to Section 6 (1), part 2 Subject to what is provided in the regulations, no person may make use of commercial advertising directed at persons under thirteen years of age. To determine whether or not an advertisement is directed at persons under thirteen years of age, account must be taken of the context of its presentation, and in particular of:  (a) the nature and intended purpose of the goods advertised;  (b) the manner of presenting such advertisement;  (c) the time and place it is shown. The fact that such advertisement may be contained in printed matter intended for persons thirteen years of age and over or intended both for persons under thirteen years of age and for persons thirteen years of age and over, or that it may be broadcast during air time intended for persons thirteen years of age and over or intended both for persons under thirteen years of age and for persons thirteen years of age and over does not create a presumption that it is not directed at persons under thirteen years of age. Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

36. Public Policy Option Recommendations • Regulations taking into consideration new technologies and marketing tactics • sponsorship, product placement, sales promotion, cross-promotions using celebrities, brand mascots or characters popular with children, web sites, packaging, labelling and point-of-purchase displays, e-mails and text messages, philanthropic activities tied to branding opportunities, and “viral marketing”, etc.1 • Regulatory framework accounting for viewing habits • Surveillance resources 1 World HealthOrganization (2009, November 26). Prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: implementation of the global strategy. Report by the Secretariat, ExecutiveBoard, 126th Session. Consultedathttp://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB126/B126_12-en.pdf Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin

37. www.cqpp.qc.ca Impacts of Screen Overexposure on Young People's Health - Presentation by Suzie Pellerin