Cities put brakes on drive-thrus

EDMONTON— Cities across the Canada are shifting gears when it comes to the environmental impact of fast food.

A recent study out of the University of Alberta looked at municipalities across the country that have placed limits on drivethru windows, and the reasons behind those decisions.

Kayla Atkey, a policy analyst with Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention, and co-author of the study, said the researchers sought to understand policies used across the country to help Canadians make healthier choices.

“Fast food drive-thrus often provide foods that are high in fat, energy-dense, low in nutritional value, and on top of that they also provide a really convenient way to access this type of food,” she said. “You can access this food without getting out of your car, which contributes to things like physical inactivity and even distracted driving.”

The study identified 27 Canadian municipalities that implemented full (city-wide) or partial bans on drive-thru windows between 2002 and 2016 for reasons ranging from cutting down noise and traffic, to limiting litter and pollution, to protecting the local economy.

Although much of the research on the topic identifies obesity and chronic disease as major reasons to adopt a drivethru ban, the study found none of the 27 cities cited those concerns as rationale.

According to the study, Toronto led the charge with a partial ban on drive-thrus in 2002. The years that followed saw surrounding municipalities such as Markham, Ajax and Windsor follow suit. All of these cities, along with Vancouver and Kelowna, B.C., were identified as innovators.

The report was published in the journal BioMed Central Public Health.