Following into the footsteps of Los Angeles officials, several New York City council members unveiled a bid on Tuesday to ban fast-food restaurants from giving toys to children. City Council Deputy Majority Leader Leroy Comrie is likely to introduce the bill on Wednesday. Explaining the reason behind his decision, Comrie said that the ban would help in the reduction of the allure of fast-food restaurants for children and would encourage the industry to come up with healthier options.
"While I recognize that ensuring children have access to, and eat more, nutritious meals is ultimately the responsibility of their caretakers, the City Council can empower parents by making it harder for the fast food industry to target children with predatory marketing techniques," he said in a statement.
It is to be noted that Los Angeles had adopted a similar law late last year. The law is due to go into effect on December 1. The National Restaurant Association and McDonald's Corp have opposed the move, which is not surprising as McDonald's Corp used the scheme of free toys to popularize its Happy Meal.
Mason Smoot, vice president and general manager for McDonald's New York region, remarked that the problem of childhood obesity would not be solved by taking away toys from children's meals. "On average, kids eat at McDonald's about three times a month; that means about 87 other meals are eaten at home, school or elsewhere. That adds up to a discussion larger than toys," Smoot said in a statement. "We provide options for our customers and trust them to make the decisions that are right for their families. Politicians should too," he said.
