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Councilwoman Won't Pursue 'Happy Meal' Toy Ban

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The champion of Philadelphia's menu labeling law says she has no desire to see the city follow in San Francisco's footsteps in passing a bill than bans toys or gift giveaways in fast-food meals targeted at children.

City councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown watched with interest this week as San Francisco supervisors passed a measure banning toys in kids' meals that are above certain thresholds in sodium, fat and calories.

Brown shakes her head at the idea:

"To consider that as a silver bullet for solving this obesity crisis, I believe is misplaced."

Brown favors giving parents more information about choices -- as required under her menu labeling law. But banning products, she says, is another matter entirely:

"Nutritional choices, I believe, ultimately fall in the lap of the parent."

Brown also says given the resistance from the fast food industry to her menu labeling law, any attempt to ban toy giveaways here would -- in her words -- be "exponentially more difficult."

Reported by Mike Dunn, KYW Newsradio

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