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Sex Toys in Supermarkets; Children’s Ombudsman Concerned

Starting next year, consumers in Finnish supermarkets will be able to add items such as dildos to their shopping lists, as the stores such as Kesko’s Citymarket chain add sex toys to their range of products.

Lapsiasiavaltuutettu Maria Kaisa Aula toivoo kauppojen kiinnittävän huomiota seksitarvikkeiden sijoitteluun. Image: YLE / Tuomas Hirvonen

Shoppers will be able to pile items such as dildos, stimulator rings and massage oils into their shopping carts, making Finland the first Nordic country to offer sex aids in supermarkets.

Maria Kaisa Aula, Finland’s Ombudsman for Children, says there seems to have been little forethought behind the decision to introduce sex toys to supermarket shelves. Aula pointed out that the advertising trades had a duty to respect parents’ responsibility to raise their children appropriately.

The Ombudsman said that the placement of sex aids should not force parents into premature discussions about sex with young children. Finland’s Consumer Agency has also weighed in on the issue, advising that products intended for adults should not be placed within children’s reach.

In spite of her concerns, Aula is not calling for the removal of the sex products from supermarkets.

“Children should not be unnecessarily confused by these things. Children who haven’t encountered these items before wouldn’t necessarily know about them, or what they’re for. There’s no point in needlessly confusing them, and for that reason it would be good to place them in such a way that children won’t see them,” Aula said.

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