Under 16s and freely available sugary drinks

[EloiseintheSun]

www.coca-cola.co.uk/about-us/heritage/christmas/coca-cola-christmas-trucks.html

Coca Cola's massive pantechnicon came to our town, dishing out small cans of coke to anyone who wanted one for an afternoon and well into the evening. The organizers, connected to the local council, told a friend on the phone before the event that under 16s wouldn't be handed these drinks without parental permission. This was the last day of school and this certainly didn't happen.

Kids of all ages queued and Santa's elves did the needful.

I know that local stores don't dish out free food/drink to kids without parents say so. Anyone know the law on this one? I feel that CC has breached it but surely they have a panoply of lawyers to check?

My comment was in the abstract. Not direct at you

I just don't see any distinction between free distribution and walking into Spar and spending their pocket money.

Any DC old enough to be in town by themselves, has to be deemed old enough not to buy snacks they are allergic to and to have the sense to drink forbidden beverages and throw away the can out of sight of DM.

I agree energy drinks are a grey area, I don't care as neither of my DDs would have more than one, but school has had trouble with DCs who are stupid, or react to them. Although I suspect the DCs in question don't actually need caffeine to be daft.

Gillick (Fraser) competency is specific competence to give medical consent.

OP is asking about legal restrictions on promotions to children. I do not think medical consent is remotely relevant. Could anyone link or provide references which show that it is?

I think the OP is asking about the Council saying one thing and then allowing a different thing to happen.

No laws have been broken. It is not illegal to offer free mini cans of coke. The fact that organisers said they wouldn't offer to kids under 16. And then did so, still doesn't mean that the law was broken.

Who on earth cares?

Indeed. I suspect MrsDeVere has it.

I agree with MrsDeVere

The organisers should not have said "we won't give out to under 16s", that's silly and unenforceable.

They were wrong to say this and then not do it, but the wrongness was mainly in saying it in the first place.

Any child who is out in town without an adult has clearly been deemed by their parents or guardians to be old enough to decide to have a can of coke or not.

Because even if there were no free cans being handed out, a child out in town by themselves could buy one if they wanted.

the organisers were probably stating coca colas policy

we have often been given the free cans. they won't give them to the kids unless I am there. in fact they have always been quite strict about it

therefore I assume it is a genuine coca cola policy