House Legislation Would Prohibit Taxpayer-Funded “Attack Ads” on Food, Beverage Companies

U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais (D-Tenn.) has introduced a bill (H.R. 3848) that would prohibit federal money from being used in any advertising campaign “against the use of a food or beverage that is lawfully marketed under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.” DesJarlais told a news source that the legislation, titled the “Protecting Foods and Beverages from Government Attack Act of 2012,” responds to New York City’s recent anti-obesity ad campaign featuring a poster of a diabetic man with an amputated leg with the tagline, “Cut Your Portions, Cut Your Risk.” DesJarlais claims the campaign encouraging subway riders to reduce their portions of food and sugary drinks was funded with federal stimulus money targeted for anti-obesity efforts.

“Our top priority should be restarting the economy and creating jobs—not
funding scare campaigns against perfectly safe and legal products,” he said
in a press release. “At a time when our nation faces high unemployment, it
makes absolutely no sense that federal and city agencies would aggressively
advertise against American products made by American workers.” See Press
Release of Representative Scott DesJarlais, February 1, 2012; FoxNews.com,
February 3, 2012.