RATIONALE BEHIND THE OTTAWA PRINCIPLES

Why was the age limit of 16 chosen?

• Research has shown that teens’ brain development makes them vulnerable to food marketing. Hormonal changes and a prefrontal cortex (which controls inhibition) that is not fully developed increases this vulnerability.

Teens are particularly susceptible to digital marketing (marketing that is transmitted to personal computers, tablets and smart phones) since it blurs the lines between marketing and entertainment, it arouses their emotions, and can derail their ability to make decisions.

• Research in the Quebec and in United States has also demonstrated that when regulations only apply to children under age 12 (or 13 as in Quebec), food and beverage companies re-focus their marketing energy (and budgets) on teens.
• It also makes sense to restrict marketing to those under 16 years as many other legal protections are given to this age group in Canada.

Why not implement the Quebec ad ban across the country?

• The Quebec ban has had an impact in Quebec but there are some drawbacks to this law:
• Only kids under 13 are protected in Quebec;
• Children in Quebec see a high level of food advertising that is targeted at adults (for instance a McDonald’s ad featuring a man in his office eating a breakfast wrap);
• Children in Quebec watching television in English are not equally protected by the law;
• There is no systematic monitoring of this law;
• The fines levied at companies that break the law are low (typically under $20,000).