Strong public support for measures to protect children’s health, poll finds
The Guardian | Health | Dennis Cambell | 2 March 2015
Almost two-thirds of Britons surveyed want ban on junk food TV ads until after 9pm, while three quarters want more to be done to help pregnant women cut down on risky behaviour such as drinking.
“We often see policies hitting the headlines that are targeted at the ageing population. Increased funding for dementia research and additional dementia training for NHS workers are among the pledges that have been made in recent weeks,” said Dr Hilary Cass, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which commissioned the poll.
“But while caring for our ageing population is important, it shouldn’t mean that children’s health falls by the wayside. This poll shows that the voting public care as much about child health as they do care for the elderly,” she added.
The UK’s rates of child mortality and childhood obesity – both are the highest in western Europe – made it vital that the next government pursues bold policies to improve child health, she added.
