Cheshire and Merseyside’s All Together Fairer Programme has welcomed the decision by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to introduce new restrictions on the advertising of unhealthy foods, sugary drinks and vaping products across Combined Authority-owned sites, marking a major step forward for public health and health equity across the city region.
The policy, agreed on Friday 23rd January under the leadership of Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, will apply to publicly owned advertising assets including transport infrastructure such as bus and rail networks. By reducing exposure to harmful marketing in everyday spaces, the policy aims to better protect children, families and communities, particularly those living in areas facing the greatest disadvantage.
Crucially, the move builds on sustained public health leadership across Cheshire and Merseyside, where all local authorities in the Liverpool City Region have already implemented Healthy Advertising Policies on council-owned sites thanks in part to coordinated efforts from the All Together Fairer Programme’s dedicated group of Leads.
Launched in 2022, All Together Fairer has enabled Cheshire and Merseyside’s Directors of Public Health and NHS Director of Population Health to work collectively to address the wider drivers of poor health, working closely with Professor Sir Michael Marmot and his Institute of Health Equity. It has since then been adopted by the subregion’s Health and Care Partnership with the publication of its five-year plan and at a meeting with Sir Michael last year, Mayor Rotheram signalled his intent to “start the process for the Liverpool City Region to become a Marmot city region”.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“Where adverts appear on publicly owned infrastructure, they should work in the public interest. In some of our communities, children are growing up surrounded by adverts for products that damage their health – we’re putting a stop to that.
“Too many families are living with the consequences of poor diet and ill health – and it’s no coincidence that the most impacted communities are often the poorest. I don’t think it’s right that, in places people rely on every day, like bus stops and train stations, we normalise products that we know are causing harm.
“By using the assets we control, we’re sending a clear signal about the kind of city region we want to be: one that puts people before profit, backs healthier choices and is serious about tackling the deep health inequalities that dramatically limit people’s lives.
“This policy reflects the strength of our partnership with the health sector and a shared commitment to tackling health inequalities head-on. This collaboration will be key to shaping our approach and, ultimately, supporting better health outcomes for our 1.6m residents.”
Professor Matt Ashton, Director of Public Health for Liverpool and Co-Chair of Cheshire and Merseyside’s All Together Fairer Board, said:
“This is a significant and very welcome step for the Liverpool City Region. Public health teams across our councils have been taking action on healthier advertising for several years, recognising the clear link between deprivation, exposure to harmful marketing and avoidable ill health.
“By aligning regional transport and advertising assets with local authority policies, this decision strengthens our collective impact. It sends a clear message that the places people rely on every day should support healthier choices and help give every child and family a fairer chance of a healthy life.”
The news that this policy will also extend the existing ban on tobacco ads to cover vaping products has also been welcomed by Cheshire and Merseyside’s All Together Smoke Free Programme, which aims to end smoking everywhere, for everyone in the subregion. By introducing these measures now, the LCR is at the forefront of tackling youth vaping, with further measures nationally expected in the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
You can also watch Mayor Steve Rotheram and Professor Matt Ashton’s interviews with BBC North West here:
To learn more about All Together Fairer, please visit: https://champspublichealth.com/all-together-fairer/.
