Opposition leaves drinks truck tour a little bit flat
THE Coca-cola truck arrives in Wales this weekend as part of its annual UK Christmas tour – despite a reduced itinerary following opposition from local authorities and health bodies.
The giant red truck has been a familiar festive sight ever since 1995, being hosted by councils, shopping centres and others as part of the multi-national soft drinks company’s Christmas promotional drive.
Two 14-tonne lorries decorated with thousands of fairy lights and playing the Holidays are Coming jingle tour the UK offering free 150ml cans of Coca-cola, Zero Sugar and Diet Coke.
But it has scaled back its tour following opposition to its handing out free sugary drinks, co-ordinated by the Sugar Smart campaign, and warnings of the impact of such marketing promotions on the prevalence of dietrelated issues such as obesity and tooth decay.
This year it will visit a third fewer locations than last time around, visiting 24 towns and cities, down from 38 last year.
Some cities have decided against hosting the truck again, including Carlisle, where the council passed a motion not to invite it back, while in some areas such as Glasgow, Plymouth and Bristol, public protests have taken place.
There have also been complaints made to local hosts including Asda and Tesco.
However, both Cardiff and Swansea remain on its route, with the first stop-off in Cardiff this weekend.
The truck will be at Queen Street tomorrow and Sunday.
Cardiff Council said the truck was a popular attraction with families.
Next week, the truck will move on to Swansea, when it will be at Tesco Llansamlet on Wednesday.
A Swansea Council spokesman said: “This is a matter for Tesco.”
Tesco was contacted for a comment.
Eighty-three organisations and campaigners have signed a letter calling on Coca-cola to hand out only sugar-free drinks.
Co-ordinated by the food and health charity Sustain, the signatories include the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, World Cancer Research Fund International, the Royal Society for Public Health and 27 local councils.
The truck is again visiting areas that have worse-thanaverage health problems relating to diet, the letter points out.
Coca-cola defended its use of the promotional Christmas trucks, which it said had made 397 stops in the UK to date and covered 737,000 miles.
In a reply to Sustain, Jon Woods, the general manager of Coca-cola GB and Ireland, said the company expected 90% of the drinks sampled this year to be zero sugar, and drinks would not be given to children under 12 unless a parent was with them.