Fast Food Advertising Ban is more Nanny Statism
Fast Food Advertising Ban is more Nanny Statism
“Banning fast food advertising would be another attack on freedom of speech and more state nannying and should be rejected” announced Libertarianz Spokeman on Free Speech Scott Wilson today.
“The health lobby, concerned about people eating too much of the wrong food and not exercising enough (i.e. getting fat), is promoting forcibly banning free speech by advertisers on their products as a cop-out, instead of emphasising parental responsibility for their children’s eating choices.”
“The state should not exist to be surrogate nanny for its citizens and allow parents to simply resort to it to look after their children”
“Fast foods are legal products that are not harmful to consume in moderation, but like many things are dangerous if consumed in large quantities. I like the occasional ice cream, pizza or fish and chips, but I am not obese because I don’t make it part of my everyday diet and I exercise. Parents need to take control of their children and their eating habits, not let the state decide what they can and can’t do.”
“If parents find it difficult to respond to pressures from their children about buying fast food, then ads for anything else children like could be banned, in fact all places children go should be devoid of anything that might cause them to pressure parents to buy anything – like North Korea!” Wilson declared.
“The right to advertise your product, by the consent of a broadcaster or publisher is a fundamental right of freedom of speech. If others want to counter that advertising they have the same right to pay for advertising with a contrary view, and ultimately parents can control their children’s television viewing habits, and not surrender parental responsibility to Nanny State.”
“Libertarianz would abolish all laws restricting advertising of legal products and subject advertising only to laws covering defamation, and for advertisers to be subject to laws on fraud if the advertising clearly misrepresents the nature of the product” Wilson concluded.
Scott Wilson Libertarianz Spokeman on Free Speech PO Box 5515 Wellington
ENDS