Take action on marketing to kids
1. Endorse! Encourage your organization to endorse the Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition and the Ottawa Principles. Contact us for endorsement inquiries or M2K presentation resources [contact].
2. Stay Informed! Explore our Video Library and webinar series, sign-up for updates on the Stop Marketing to Kids Campaign, and contact us to join the Stop M2K listserv and participate in discussions on the issue.
3. Send a letter to the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Federal Minister of Health, letting her know your organization supports Bill S-228 and the Ottawa Principles. See examples from:
- The Middlesex-London Health Unit
- Peterborough Public Health
- Sudbury & District Health Unit
- Timiskaming Health Unit
- Perth District Health Unit
4. Use social media: Help us spread the word on social media. Use the hashtag #Marketing2Kids and consider requesting a copy of our social media toolkit
- I support legislation to stop #Marketing2Kids Find out more: stopmarketingtokids.ca
- Advertising restrictions are urgently needed to protect kids and support parents. #Marketing2Kids
5. Add a page or section on marketing to kids to your website, and link it to stopmarketingtokids.ca. See examples from:
6. Publish an op-ed in your local news to highlight this exciting time for nutrition policy. See examples from:
- Coast Reporter: How marketing harms our kids
- Ottawa Citizen: Why we must ban food advertising to children
- Globe and Mail: Our kids should be protected from junk-food ads
- Coalition in the News: additional Canadian media coverage on this issue
- Other M2K News: media coverage from around the world
7. Publish an article on blogs that you have connections with. See examples from:
- Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health
- Ottawa Public Health blog
- Elizabeth Holmes, Health Policy Analyst: 5 Actions Government Can Take…
- Rita Koutsodimos, Manager, Advocacy and Communications, BCAHL: Teens are Drinking Over a Kilo of Sugar per Month!
8. Request an Advocacy Toolkit: the Heart and Stroke Foundation has developed a toolkit providing public health officials, researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and health organizations Canada-wide with a list of items that can be put into action to help advance restrictions on food and beverage marketing to children and youth. Contact us to request the Policy and Advocacy Action Toolkit for the Public Health Sector.
9. Share your expertise! Help us build a bank of actions, research, tools, and ideas to protect children from unhealthy food and beverage marketing. Tell us what you know, have come across, or have done!