South Australia has officially declared war on the humble ham sandwich — or at least, on its right to be seen on a bus. Starting 1 July 2025, ads for ham salad sangas (and a whole lot of other “junk” foods) will be wiped from Adelaide’s buses, trains and trams, all in the name of fighting the state’s growing obesity problem.
It’s not just ham in the firing line — chocolate, lollies, ice cream, chips, soft drinks and even desserts are all getting the boot from public transport ads.
The state government reckons that cutting down on these ads will help kids and adults make healthier choices, and maybe even stop kids from pestering their parents for a post-school junk food snack. My fave was stealing the good chocolates from the gift cupboard.
Why the fuss about ham?
You might be thinking: ham? Really? Isn’t that just a lunchbox staple? Well, according to the new rules, all processed meats are out.
“As it stands, this policy bans all processed meats, which means a simple ham salad sandwich can’t be advertised,” the Australian Association of National Advertisers CEO Josh Faulks said, per news.com.au.
“This simply doesn’t make sense and the government should be making evidence-based decisions, not blanket bans that don’t align with nutritional science.”
Faulks points out that under these rules, even ads for children’s charities or other non-food related businesses showing things like a birthday cake or charcuterie board would be banned.
Meanwhile, the SA Government argues that early exposure to unhealthy food marketing shapes lifelong eating habits and, with 63 per cent of adults and 35 per cent of kids in SA now overweight or obese, something had to be done.
Health Minister Chris Picton says this is a “sensible step” towards a healthier state, pointing out that food habits formed in childhood stick around for life.
“These lobbyists want to force the State Government to keep having junk food ads on our own buses amidst an obesity crisis,” Pricton told NewsWire.
“Evidence shows that South Australian children are bombarded by unhealthy food and drink advertising every day.
“Advertising of unhealthy food and drinks has long been recognised as having a harmful impact on the diets of children.”
Cancer Council SA is also cheering from the sidelines, saying less junk food advertising means better health outcomes for everyone.
“We know that minimising unhealthy food and drink advertising can lead to better health outcomes for everyone,” said Christine Morris, per news.com.au.
“Our research shows that forming the foundations of positive nutrition preferences in children is a big step in overall cancer prevention.”
Whether this ad ban will actually make South Australians healthier is clearly up for debate. Either way, if you’re a fan of processed meats, you’ll have to get your inspiration elsewhere. The ham sandwich has officially left the station — at least in ad form.
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