Free Press : Help keep advertisers off our kids

Free Press : Help keep advertisers off our kids
Under current law, it is more difficult to regulate advertising to children than to adults! The HeLP America Act (S. 2558) is an important step towards fixing this problem. By restoring the FTC’s authority to control children’s advertising, we will have the regulatory structure needed to fight back against unchecked advertisers.

Take a moment to support this crucial legislation.

PETITION BACKGROUND:

In 1978, based on research showing that marketing to children is inherently unfair because they do not understand its persuasive intent, the FTC proposed a ban on advertising to children under eight. Worried about losing access to a lucrative market, the affected industries lobbied Congress and convinced them in 1980 to rescind the FTC’s power to regulate advertising to children.

The HeLP America (Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention) Act, S 2558, would restore government regulation of child-directed advertising after nearly 25 years of minimal oversight.

Some facts about marketing to children:

* In 2002 alone, corporations spent at least than $15 billion on marketing to children.
* Marketing is a factor in the childhood obesity epidemic. Since 1980, the number of overweight kids in the U.S. between 6 and 11 years of age doubled, while the number tripled for those 12 to 17 years old
* Marketing encourages eating disorders, precocious sexuality, youth violence and family stress.
* In their effort to establish cradle-to-grave brand loyalty, marketers even target babies.
* 85% of Americans want to make children’s programming commercial free.

For more information on advertising, commercialism, and children, check out the following areas of the Free Press website:
Children's Programming Activist Issue
Advertising Regulation Activist Issue
Hypercommercialism Ongoing Project

To join the growing movement to protect children from harmful marketing, please visit www.commercialexploitation.org.