Lickable ads add up to a health hazard

January 10, 2005
The Ottawa Citizen
A11

Robert MacLeod of Stittsville, Ont., writes regarding Tasteful ads, Jan. 6, to say that as a microbiologist, he read with horror that a U.S. marketing group has developed lickable ads for magazines and books to provide readers with an opportunity to taste the flavour of the product being advertised. What steps have the promoters of these ads taken to prevent the spread of communicable diseases through these ads?

Imagine sitting in your doctor's office, thumbing through one of the magazines available there while you wait for your appointment. You come across an ad recommending that you lick an edible ink tattoo in the ad to taste the flavour of the product. How many people have licked the tattoo before you? How many will lick it again? Unless the marketing group can provide evidence to the contrary, such ads would seem to provide limitless possibilities for the spread of disease. Therefore, if this evidence is not available, our minister of health should ban such ads in Canada.