Toxic politics of selling addiction to children

Deceptive tricks and tactics are used by industries that profit from getting our children addicted to ultra-processed foods, high sugar products, tobacco and nicotine.

- BY SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT - CNS

Experts from the United Nations health agency - the World Health Organization (WHO) and Corporate Accountability, call for concerted efforts from the governments to put people before profit, and hold industries that do the reverse (prioritise profit over health) accountable.

Through the use of artificial flavours, excessive sugar, colourful packaging, character branding, catchy advertising, and digital marketing campaigns, these products exploit children's developmental impressionability and normalise harmful consumption patterns at an early age, making them lifelong consumers of harmful products.

"Industries that profit from harmful products - such as ultra-processed foods, sugary snacks, tobacco, and nicotine - have strategically designed and marketed these products to target children and adolescents. Through addictive ingredients, colourful packaging, and digital campaigns, they exploit children's impressionability, creating lifelong consumers of harmful products. This deliberate manipulation is a result of weak policies, permissive governance, and corporate greed that prioritise profit over health. We must challenge these harmful dynamics by dismantling industry influence and advocating for bold, equity-driven policies that protect public health, especially the well-being of future generations," said Ashka Naik, Chief Research and Policy Officer at Corporate Accountability.

Is it accidental or by design?

This is not accidental, but it is a result of well-orchestrated and fine-tuned tactics by the industry to maximise profits at any cost. It is a result of deliberate manipulation of addiction, coupled with permissive policy environments and weak global governance, that relies on privileging profit for the few over the health of many.