Countdown to tobacco display law
Small retailers in the North East are being reminded that new tobacco display laws come into effect on April 6th, 2015.
From April, it will be illegal for small and medium size retailers, including pubs and club, to display cigarettes and tobacco to the public and the Department of Health is urging retailers to take the right steps now.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Gina Radford, said:
“The tobacco display ban for smaller retailers is an important part of the drive to stop young people taking up smoking.
“There is some evidence that prominent and eye-catching tobacco displays in shops can both encourage young people to take up smoking and undermine the efforts of adults who are trying to quit smoking.
“There is help available for retailers in Newcastle and I would urge them to check now and make sure that they will be ready in time.”
When the display rule comes in, smokers will continue to be able to buy their cigarettes and tobacco exactly as they do now, and the new rules will not limit availability.
Some retailers will get support from the tobacco industry in making their displays compliant, but if not, there are a number of easy and low cost ways for retailers to achieve this.
Newcastle newsagent owner, John McClurey said:
“I welcome the introduction of the display ban, as part of a multi-pronged attack on smoking. I think that point of sale displays have an impact in making smoking more tempting – not just to children but also for anyone who has quit smoking.
The only loss of business that I am expecting to see is as a gradual reduction in smoking rates. As all shops will be going dark on the same day I don’t anticipate any loss of business to other retailers. Traders like me are well aware of the tiny profit from tobacco products – I make similar profit from a pack of chewing gum as a £6 pack of cigarettes.”
It will be a criminal offence if cigarette displays are not covered but the Trading Standards Authority has made it clear that they want to help businesses comply with the law.
Lisa Surtees, Acting Director of Fresh, said: “There is high public support for measures to reduce children smoking and seeing tobacco displays in shops can make young people more curious and more tempted to smoke.
“For anyone stopping smoking. tobacco displays can also make staying quit harder as they have to see rows and rows of cigarette packs every time they walk into a shop.
“Tobacco is the only product on shop shelves that when used as the manufacturer intends will kill half of all lifelong customers. They shouldn’t be promoted and displayed in the same way as other products.”
The Association of Convenience Stores has produced guidance at http://www.acs.org.uk/advice/tobacco-display-ban/