Banning the display of tobacco products is still unnecessary, unjustified and unwanted in Scotland, says the TMA

Responding to the publication of the Scottish Health and Sport Committee’s Report on the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill, Christopher Ogden, Chief Executive of the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association (TMA), commented:

“This bill contains provisions that would implement a ban on the display of tobacco products at the point of sale in Scotland. We are very disappointed that the Health and Sport Committee has not taken into account compelling evidence provided by manufacturers, retailers and other stakeholders that the ban will not have its intended effect.”

“The proposed ban is unnecessary, unjustified and unwanted by many stakeholders, especially the retailers whose businesses will be adversely affected to no purpose.

“The serious unintended consequences of this proposal have also been ignored by the Scottish Health and Sport Committee. We believe, as evidence in Ireland proves, with the seizure of significant quantities of counterfeit cigarettes of the top two brands in Ireland , that organised crime will exploit the display ban. The proposed legislation will make illicit, unregulated tobacco products easier to sell.

“There is no credible evidence to support the government’s stated objective that a ban would reduce youth smoking. New evidence from Canada recently demonstrated that youth smoking has remained the same or increased in 5 of the 8 Canadian provinces that have implemented a ban.

“We hope that common sense will prevail and the Bill will be amended when it is debated in the Scottish Parliament. The last thing we need in the midst of recession is further regulation that will facilitate illicit trade in tobacco products and impact adversely on thousands of small retailers and the communities they serve.”
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For further information and/or interviews, please contact:

Dirk Vennix, TMA Director of Communications
24 Hour Press Line: 020 7544 0111
Mobile: 07872376748
Email: dvennix@the-tma.org.uk

1 The Republic of Ireland implemented a ban on the display of tobacco products in July 2009.
2 Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey 2008 (Current smokers aged 15-19).

Notes to the Editor:

[1] The TMA is the trade association for tobacco companies that operate in the UK. Our members are British American Tobacco UK Ltd (www.bat.com), Gallaher Ltd (a member of the JTI Group of companies – www.jti.com), and Imperial Tobacco Ltd. (UK). (www.imperial-tobacco.com)

[2] The economic recession is likely to tempt more people to access cheaper smuggled product from unscrupulous black market traders, who do not care who they sell to and who do not ask for proof of age. There is also a danger that the government proposal to ban the display of tobacco products in shops will play into the hands of criminals trying to infiltrate the retail network.

[3] In 2006/7 the UK government estimated that up to 17% of cigarette and up to 59% of hand rolling tobacco consumption was smuggled. The revenue lost due to tobacco smuggling could be as much as £3.1 billion.

[4] The TMA strongly agrees with the Scottish government that children should not smoke and should be actively discouraged from doing so. The TMA is a principal stakeholder in CitizenCard (www.citizencard.com), the UK’s leading proof-of-age scheme [nearly 2 million cards issued] and the No ID, No Sale (NINS) (www.noidnosale.com) campaign operated by CitizenCard which promotes all PASS accredited (Government approved) Proof of Age / ID schemes.