Mexico Proposes Ban on Junk Food, Alcohol Ads at Sporting Events

Jesús Sesma, Coordinator of the Green Party, Mexico City’s Congress, has introduced two legislative initiatives aimed at restricting the marketing of unhealthy food and alcoholic beverages at sports and entertainment events.

The first of the proposed reforms targets Mexico City’s Law for the Celebration of Public Shows and the Law on Outdoor Advertising. It aims to regulate advertising for alcoholic and sugary drinks, as well as food deemed unhealthy, at venues where sports and public entertainment events are held.

The second initiative urges the federal Congress to amend the General Health Law to ban outdoor advertising that promotes alcohol consumption inside and around stadiums and other venues hosting national and international sporting events. “Our legislative proposal is committed to strengthening the human right to public health and arises as a political act of responsibility to the public, with a focus on the best interests of children and adolescents,” Sesma stated.

Sesma emphasized the contradiction between the promotion of physical activity and the simultaneous exposure to marketing for unhealthy products. “When we attend or watch sports or public events, we are not only witnessing entertainment, we are also receiving messages that associate these experiences with brands promoting beer, sugary drinks, salty snacks, and high-fat foods,” he said.

He added that advertising plays a role in shaping habits, and its normalization of unhealthy consumption in sports spaces should not be underestimated. “The sale and promotion of junk food, alcoholic beverages, and sugary drinks have become a staple of stadiums, courts, tournaments, and even sports broadcasts, which are saturated with ads that normalize these products.”

If passed, the legislation would apply to events in Mexico City and could be extended nationwide, marking a significant step in aligning public policy with health objectives.

According to recent figures from international organizations, Mexico also leads the Americas in soda consumption, with an average of 173L per person per year, 40% more than the United States, which ranks second at 118L. Additionally, a report by UNAM revealed that 73% of alcohol consumers in the country are adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 24.