The Times: Nose job ads? Not in front of the children

The ban aims to protect young people’s mental health and body image.

Cosmetic surgery clinics will be banned from promoting breast enlargement, nose jobs and liposuction to children, under plans announced by the advertising watchdog today.

The rules will stop adverts for cosmetic surgery during or around TV programmes and online content, either aimed at under-18s or likely to appeal to young audiences. It will mean that viewers of Love Island, the ITV reality show, will no longer see adverts for breast enlargement procedures.

The Committee of Advertising Practice said that the directive, which is to go out to consultation, followed public health and political concern about the effect such adverts have on young people’s mental health and body image.

At present no legal restrictions apply to the advertising of cosmetic interventions to people under 18. The ban will not affect adverts for cosmetics such as creams, make-up and hair products.

The watchdog said: “We are aware of concerns expressed by senior NHS and public health figures about the insecurities and body image pressures that children and young people may experience and, by extension, that they might face undue pressures from ads for cosmetics interventions.”

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