Response of the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association to the Consultation on the Future of Tobacco Control

In our response to the Department of Health’s document Consultation on the Future of Tobacco Control we set out the reasons why we are opposed to a tobacco display ban. Such a ban is not supported by robust evidence, it will not achieve the stated public health benefit and it will have serious unintended consequences.

Tobacco product displays are not predictors of youth smoking. Indeed, the Department of Health itself states in the consultation paper that predictors of smoking are factors such as: age and sex, home environment, drug use, drinking alcohol, truancy and exclusion from school. It rightly does not list retail displays of tobacco products as a factor.

Where product displays have been banned, in Iceland and some Canadian provinces, for example, there has been no resulting reduction in smoking consumption.

Point of sale display is necessary for fair and undistorted competition between manufacturers and between retailers.

NOTE: A corrected version of our submission was placed on this website at 12:15 on 8 September 2008. If you downloaded a copy prior to this, please download the latest version.

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