Liverpool City Council 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.
This commitment builds on the findings of the State of Health in the City: Liverpool 2040 report, which highlights the scale of the city’s health challenges and warns of rising ill‑health without decisive action. In September 2024, Liverpool City Council adopted its own healthy advertising policy, restricting the promotion of unhealthy food, tobacco and vaping products, gambling and alcohol across all Council‑owned sites.
Building on this local policy, the new Liverpool City Region approach extends these protections to non‑Liverpool City Council‑owned sites across the city, further reducing residents’ exposure to harmful products and supporting healthier choices.
Professor Matt Ashton, Director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council, 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.”
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, 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.”
The policy complements recent national action to restrict advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar, helping to create a consistent national, regional and local approach to protecting children and reducing health inequalities. Evidence consistently shows that unhealthy food advertising is more prevalent in deprived communities, contributing to higher rates of childhood obesity, diet-related disease and poor oral health. By acting together across the system, partners in Cheshire and Merseyside are helping to shift the focus towards healthier environments and long-term prevention.
