Daily Mail

HOW COKE STOLE CHRISTMAS

Every year, its gaudy trucks dole out free cans to families – just one of the ploys junk food and drinks giants use to entice a new generation of children . . . despite Britain’s obesity crisis. But will they stop? Fat chance!

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drinks to lower sugar levels is just a sticking plaster approach. ‘Using artificial sweeteners is only a shortterm measure that does nothing to shift tastes and still causes dental problems,’ says Vera Zakharov, of the Sugar Smart campaign run by the food charity, Sustain.

In the case of Coca- Cola, she argues that the Christmas truck tour is just a ‘stunt’ to bolster the main brand anyway. The new Coca- Cola Zero Sugar product looks very much like the traditiona­l version but with a black band round the can. However, visitors who turn up on the truck tour asking for the original will be handed the classic red variety (which contains seven teaspoons in a regular 330ml can).

Here in Leeds, no one seems too bothered what they are drinking. It is just free fizz. ‘I don’t really

WATCHING the excitement on so many young faces, I feel faintly Scrooge-like objecting to what is, superficia­lly, ‘ a bit of Christmas fun’. But then, so were the classic Hamlet cigar ads, and those are no longer much missed.

Things are certainly starting to change for the better.

The Government has announced a possible ban on selling under-18s ‘energy’ drinks — which contain vast amounts of caffeine and sugar but precious little genuine energy.

A 500 ml can of the popular Monster Energy drink has the equivalent of 13 teaspoons of sugar and roughly four times as much caffeine as a shot of espresso.

Meanwhile, London’s mayor has announced a ban on all junk food advertisin­g on the capital’s transport network.

Many of us recoil from the idea of ‘banning’ anything that is legal and a matter of personal choice. But the terrible health prospects of millions of young people mean that we have to take a much tougher line on changing attitudes.

And there is something particular­ly galling about Coca- Cola’s vast, gaily- lit circus of junk consumeris­m with its over-hyped message of peace, goodwill and dental cavities.

‘The holidays are coming,’ goes Coke’s jingle.

Perhaps, though, it’s now time for its trucks to be going — for good. drink it and the kids only have it as a treat,’ says Daniel Mullan, who’s here with three children aged 13, ten and five. Asked if he feels exploited or is fearful for his children’s health, he replies: ‘You’ve got to be kidding! That’s political correctnes­s gone bananas. We’re just here for a bit of Christmas spirit. Is that truck going to make you obese?’

After sun-down, the lorry looks much jollier — brightly lit up while a machine puffs out occasional bursts of fake snow.

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