The coca-cola truck is coming.
But there have been calls for the truck - which visited Huddersfield two years ago and Leeds last year - to be banned from certain cities because they are “in the grip of an obesity epidemic”.
Although the tour dates and cities have not been confirmed for 2017 councillors in Liverpool have called for the ban.
Liverpool Lib Dem leader Cllr Richard Kemp has written to bosses at Liverpool One to ask if it is planning to host the truck this Christmas - and to give his party’s reasons why the visit should not happen, the Liverpool Echo reports .
In his letter to Liverpool One bosses, he states: “I believe that the visit by Coca Cola should not take place.
“You only have to look around you to see that Liverpool is in the grip of an obesity epidemic - 30% of our 11 years olds are obese with about 5% being clinically obese.
“Up to 60% of our adults are obese and many of them clinically obese - we must take action to deal with this because the consequences are alarming.”
Describing the visit of the Coca-Cola truck to Liverpool over the past five years as a “cynical event”, he added: “It is not designed to welcome Christmas but to increase the consumption of a product that is grossly unhealthy.”
He added: “10% of all hospital beds are occupied by people with type II diabetes. All of which is avoidable if people were to eat and drink properly and take enough exercise.”
But people have slammed the calls saying the councillor is acting like 'Scrooge'
Responding to the latest criticism, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola Great Britain said: “The Coca-Cola Christmas truck tour provides a moment of fun for everyone in the build-up to Christmas and we’ve had a positive response from many people in Liverpool when we visit each year.
“The tour is now in its seventh year and each year we receive hundreds of requests to visit, something that we take into account when creating a route which has a good geographical spread.
“People will have the opportunity to see the truck up close, have their photograph taken and enjoy a choice of a small 150ml can of Coca-Cola Classic or one of our zero sugar options Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.”
