Scotland: Q&A redresses balance of ban on promotion of tobacco to children debate

ASH Scotland has published a series of ten questions and answers about the measures that are proposed in the Scottish Government's Tobacco Bill. ASH Scotland Chief Executive Sheila Duffy said the bill which has four key measures to reduce the attractiveness, availability and visibility of tobacco and prevent young people take up smoking, could make a very real difference to Scotland's rates of smoking. Commenting Ms Duffy said:
"ASH Scotland recognises that many people are unaware of the measures that the Tobacco Bill will introduce and that some retailers are uneasy about some of the changes to the way that tobacco will be sold. However I also believe that retailers have been given only one side of the debate from the tobacco industry.
"The removal of tobacco displays from our shops will close a loophole that allows tobacco to be advertised. Tobacco marketing has a disproportionate impact on young people. It is strongly correlated with an increased risk of smoking initiation and young people, unlike adult smokers, tend to smoke the most visible and actively marketed brands of cigarettes.
"Knowing this, tobacco companies have invested heavily in packaging and increasing the number of variants of cigarette brands since advertising was banned. For example in 1998, there were five variants of the Mayfair brand but by 2008 the brand was available in seventeen formats. The increased number of different brands enables greater visibility at point of sale displays and has resulted in larger point of sale displays in order to stock a greater number of varieties and to utilise the increasing visual appeal of the packaging.
"The display ban is about stopping advertising to young people not stopping adult smokers buying tobacco or shops selling it. 15,000 young people take up smoking every year in Scotland, and tobacco kills half of its long term users.
"90% of smokers know exactly what brand they want before they even enter the shop, so footfall should not be affected. There are also opportunities for retailers in removing displays. Space will be freed up to promote and sell other products rather than one that causes such harm. With smoking rates in decline, this could be a great opportunity for retailers to prepare for a much healthier future.
"Tobacco remains Scotland's biggest killer with 24% of all deaths due to smoking. It costs the NHS in Scotland more than £409 million every year to treat smoking related diseases, it costs the Scottish economy £837 million, and the social cost of dealing with a preventable early death and illnesses is immeasurable.

"There have been several independent public opinion polls carried out and they all show strong majority support for the policies. There is no doubt that the public would like to see children protected from the harms of smoking and I am sure that retailers are amongst those people who want to reduce the major harm smoking causes to Scotland's public health.
"I hope this Q&A will help even out the debate which has led some shopkeepers to be worried about proposals which should ultimately benefit the health of Scotland's future generations - something we can all support."

Source: ASH Scotland, 17 August 2009