The availability of novelty sweets within high school localities

Abstract

The expansion of the novelty sweet market in the UK has significant potential public health implications for children and young adults as they contribute to dental caries, dental erosion and obesity. Objective: To identify the most available types of novelty sweets in Cardiff, UK and to assess their price range and where and how they were displayed in shops. Subjects and Methods: Shops within a ten minute walking distance around five purposively selected high schools in the Cardiff area representing different levels of deprivation were visited. Shops in Cardiff city centre and three supermarkets were also visited to identify the most commonly available novelty sweets. Results: The ten most popular novelty sweets identified in these scoping visits were (in descending order) Brain Licker, Push Pop, Juicy Drop, Lickedy Lips, Big Baby Pop, Vimto candy spray, Toxic Waste, Tango candy spray, Brain Blasterz Bitz and Mega Mouth candy spray. Novelty sweets were located on low shelves which were accessible to all age-groups in 73% (14 out of 19) of the shops. Novelty sweets were displayed in close proximity to the checkout in 37% (7 out of 19) shops. The price of the top ten novelty sweets ranged from 39p to £1. Conclusion: A wide range of acidic and free sugar sweetened novelty sweets were easily accessible and priced within pocket money range. Those personnel involved in delivering dental and wider health education or health promotion need to be aware of current trends in children’s confectionary. In addition, the potential effects of these novelty sweets on both general and dental health requires further investigation.