Key Points
- The Liverpool City Region is considering tougher advertising rules covering junk food, sugary drinks and vapes.
- The proposed approach would apply to publicly owned assets such as trains, ferries and buses.
- Mayor Steve Rotheram says the aim is to reduce children’s exposure to products that harm health in everyday spaces.
- Some local authorities have already introduced similar bans, including Sefton Council.
- The proposal is due to be discussed at a Combined Authority meeting on Friday amid wider concerns about health inequalities.
2Firsts, January 23, 2026
According to the BBC, the Liverpool City Region is considering a region-wide plan to restrict advertising for junk food, sugary drinks and vapes across publicly owned assets, including trains, ferries and buses.
Mayor Steve Rotheram said advertising displayed on public infrastructure should serve the public interest, and that children in some communities are growing up surrounded by marketing for products that damage their health.
Rotheram linked the proposal to efforts aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles and narrowing health inequalities, noting that the communities most impacted by poor diet and ill health are often the poorest. He also pointed to local precedents, saying some councils have already brought in their own bans, including Sefton Council.
The Combined Authority cited local data indicating that junk food adverts appear far more often in the most deprived parts of the city region, where children are significantly more likely to have excess weight compared with peers in less disadvantaged areas.
A University of Liverpool academic added that children’s food preferences form early in life, and that earlier interventions encouraging healthier choices can shape long-term health outcomes.
Image source: BBC
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