News

Children & Secondhand Smoke

A position statement from the Faculty of Public Health

Since 1 July 2007, smoking has been prohibited in all indoor public
places and workplaces throughout the UK, protecting many adults
from exposure to secondhand smoke. The health benefits are already
beginning to be felt.1,2 However, it is estimated that about 40% of
children in UK households – ie. around five million – are exposed to
secondhand smoke in the home.3 Unlike adults, children have little
control over the extent of such exposure.

Download the full statement here.

Joint commisioning of children’s services across local authorities and primary care trusts

Major service reviews have demonstrated that gaps exist in the provision of joined-up healthcare and related services for children, young people and families. As professional organisations whose members work across both public health and children's services, we want to ensure that those strategies, such as Every Child Matters and The Children's Plan, protect and improve the health of children and young people in practice, and uphold the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Download the overview here.

Children's Food Campaign Update

Dear supporters of the Children's Food Campaign,

Ofcom announcement shortly - help needed

It seems that Ofcom are going to announce their recommendations on restricting junk food advertising aimed at children in the next few days, possibly as early as tomorrow.

We expect them to announce a package of measures that may appear to be tough but actually contain some significant loop-holes, which will undermine the effect of any new regulations. In particular we are concerned that the recommendations may not affect generic brand advertising (where, say, McDonalds advertise their restaurants not their burgers) and sponsorship (e.g. Cadbury's sponsoring Coronation Street). Along with the National Heart Forum, I've sent a briefing to MPs on this issue today - please find attached along with it's covering letter. This may feature in the papers tomorrow.

Assuming the announcement is along the lines we expect, our collective task when the announcement is made will be to make it clear that our coalition is unhappy at the recommendations and that the Government should step-in and introduce a 9pm watershed for all junk food TV adverts.

Importantly, Gordon Brown said he supported a 9pm watershed for junk food ads on GMTV yesterday.

It is very important that there is one collective voice from our coalition of health, consumer and children's organisations. And your help will be vital in order to force the Government to reject Ofcom's recommendation and support a 9pm watershed.

How you can help:

Write letters to MPs - especially the Prime Minister and Chancellor: In the short-term I am keen to get a large number of letters and email to MPs, especially the Prime Minister and Chancellor. I will email around model letters shortly after we've seen what Ofcom say.
Ask your members and supporters to do the same. Please do pass on these model letters to your supporters as soon as possible.
Contact any MPs you have relationships with to lobby them to press the Government to introduce a 9pm watershed.

Shortly after the announcement I will email you a longer-term strategy and list of activities, which I'll have drawn-up having seen the Government's initial reaction to the announcement. Gordon Brown's comments yesterday do give us a great deal of hope that this issue will keep running until we've achieved our aims. With your help we can do it!

Please do contact me if you wish to discuss.

Richard Watts
Campaign Coordinator, Children's Food Campaign
M: 07710 782719

Previous news about the Children's Food Campaign letter to Alan Johnson

"Thank you all for your of help in getting the letter to Alan Johnson re cookery in the curriculum into the public domain.

So far I've seen the following pieces reporting on it:

The Times: www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2400313,00.html
The BBC: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6040438.stm

But we haven't finished doing a full scan of the papers yet so will send more if and when we find it."

Best wishes,
Richard Watts
Campaign Coordinator, Children's Food Campaign

Mitch Blair asks for volunteers from CPHIG to lead on this consultation for these groups

Community-based interventions to reduce substance misuse among vulnerable and disadvantaged young people: Draft Guidance
Public Health Intervention: Draft Guidance
Public Health Intervention: Mental Health & Young People: Stakeholder Meeting