Maine’s Law Banning Food Ads in Schools

In many schools, foods and beverages are advertised everywhere – in hallways  and cafeterias, in classrooms and athletic facilities, on paper products and scoreboards, and in teaching materials and school publications.

Study after study has shown that food and beverage advertising influences children’s food  preferences and purchases – and their diets and health.

In 2007, the Maine legislature passed the first state law prohibiting brand-specific advertising of certain unhealthy foods and beverages in schools. To help Maine schools comply with the law, the ChangeLab Solutions developed this fact sheet.