Comment: Ian Reynolds-Young, Editor, Planet Vending.
And so, the demonisation of vending machines continues apace across the EU.
The European soft drinks industry, represented by UNESDA, has announced that it will voluntarily cease sales of drinks containing added sugars to secondary schools across the European Union. This pledge maintains and expands UNESDA’s existing policy – first introduced in 2006 – not to sell any beverages in primary schools, nor advertise any beverages to children under 12.
This latest move will impact on 50,000 secondary schools and more than 40 million young people in 28 countries. Complete implementation is expected by the end of 2018, when UNESDA member companies will provide ‘only no, and low calorie soft drinks’ in secondary schools.
How are drinks sold in schools? Largely through vending machines…
The European Vending Association, (EVA), has acknowledged in response that ‘industry associations must push their members to do their utmost to play their part to combat obesity, ideally as joint actions.’ The organisation even goes as far commending UNESDA, on ‘this proactive and voluntary industry step.’
Is it just me, or do you also get the feeling that when the EVA issued this statement, it had its corporate fingers and toes crossed? EVA Members feel that a policy supporting an educational choice by secondary school children would, potentially, be more of a long-term solution than an outright ban. Wouldn’t it be better to insist that every school offered a range of zero/no added sugar soft drinks instead of banning those products which, let’s face it, the kids are buying by the gallon?
Can’t secondary school children be trusted to make suitable choices for themselves? When they leave school, they’re going to have to do so; but this policy from UNESDA removes choice. It does nothing to educate kids about the purchasing options they have outside the womb of the school gates.
If they really wanted to make an impact on school environments, surely UNESDA’s initiative should focus not only on schools, but also on the myriad CTNs, pound shops and supermarkets that surround them? The trouble is that by doing so, they might just offend some of their big customers. Obviously, they’ve calculated that they can get away with targeting vending companies, and they’re probably right: even the biggest vending operators are small fry when compared with the Big Five grocery providers of this world…
Will this policy lead to any sizable difference to obesity levels in children? Hell, no, not one iota! A much more effective tactic in any fight against childhood obesity would be self-regulation by all sales channels close to schools, not just the whipping boys of the vending channel.
Typically, the media’s response to the UNESDA commitment lays the blame solely at the feet of vending machines, and has predictably (and unhelpfully) led the hue and cry for vending machine bans in schools. Calls for vending machine bans in schools – or anywhere else for that matter – as opposed to insisting upon product changes, is frankly ludicrous.
I get it: the EVA has to be diplomatic. The good folks in Brussels must be as incandescent about this as I am. They can’t say it, but PV can say it on their behalf:
Can we not, just for once, act like grown ups in the fight to make society healthier, for goodness’ sake? The way things stand, this ‘blame vending’ culture is enough to do your head in.
