Boots is a pharmacy located throughout England. I assume everywhere, although to be honest, East Anglia and London area, Western suburbs outside of London ... all have a Boots.
Boots says it cannot award loyalty points on milk for newborns because it's against EU law to 'promote' the bottle
By Jenny Hope
15th February 2010
Daily Mail
New mothers are being denied valuable money saving offers on infant milk formula because of 'politically correct' pressure to breast feed.
Boots says it cannot award loyalty points on milk for newborns because it is against EU law to 'promote' bottle feeding.
The store believes giving a bonus on feed for babies of less than six months might be seen as encouraging the practice.
Campaigners claim many mothers want to breast feed but cannot, leaving them no choice but formula.
Clare Byam-Cook, a midwife and breast feeding counsellor, said Boots was 'between a rock and a hard place' and condemned political correctness and red tape for making life harder for new mothers.
She said: 'Mothers today are under enormous pressure to breast feed and are led to believe it will be natural and easy.
'The reality is that many mothers struggle to breast feed for a variety of reasons and suddenly find themselves having to give milk from a bottle.
'These mothers already feel a failure because they have to use formula feed and then they are treated like bad people when buying it.
They can't even benefit from saving a little money. A 900g tin of infant formula costs an average of �7.50, which would earn around 30 Boots Advantage Card points – equivalent to 30p.
The Department of Health recommends exclusive breast feeding for the first six months, in line with international guidelines.
Research shows breast milk can protect babies against stomach bugs, chest infections, asthma eczema, and allergies. Under European legislation, Boots and other stores with loyalty schemes can be penalised by trading standards officers for 'incentives' to buy formula milk for babies up to six months. Parents can earn points on powdered milk for older infants.
Boots said the Infant Formula and Follow On Formula Regulations 2007 banned the promotion of infant formula 'under any circumstances' and it believed loyalty points 'could be construed as promotion and therefore a breach of the law'.
The Food Standards Agency said it advised that loyalty schemes could break the rules.
The Department of Health did not comment on loyalty points, but said it was 'committed to the promotion and support of breast feeding'.
'BACK TO WORK' PRESSURE OF THE BABY HEALTH CHECKS
Health visitors sent to help new mothers have been told to ask them when they will go back to work. They have been instructed to find out about job plans as part of routine checks on the health of the baby.
The pressure on mothers to think about an early return to work has come as part of a Government drive to widen the role of health visitors. But their union last night called the edict 'unethical', while mothers said the intrusive questioning made them feel guilty for wanting to stay at home to look after their families.
One new mother said: '(The health visitor) was asking the usual questions about the baby when suddenly she started talking about childcare, and how I could find it. She asked me what my plans were for going back to work.
'I was really shocked because I was only thinking about the baby. I asked her why she mentioned jobs, and she said that she has to now.'
The Department of Health said: 'Health visitors will discuss a range of issues which may impact on family health. On occasion this may involve a question about finance.' But Karen Reay, of union Unite, said: 'It is not part of the health visitor's job to act as an arm of the Jobcentre.'
Not that Europeans were very big into civil liberties anyway ... who cares who you are told what to do by!
laws
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