Ministers press ahead with tobacco sale restrictions

Published by Hannah Wooderson for 24dash.com in Central Government and also in Health

Health Secretary Alan Johnson today unveiled plans to force cigarette sales "under the counter" in a bid to cut smoking by children.

Mr Johnson also announced that the Government was taking on powers to make it more difficult for under-18s to use cigarette vending machines - and may ban them if that does not work.

The move to ban prominent displays of tobacco products and advertising at the point of sale provoked storms of protest from shopkeepers, who argue it will cost them much-needed business during the economic crisis.

The Tobacco Manufacturers' Association warned that the change would hit corner shops hardest as customers buy more of their cigarettes from supermarkets. But Mr Johnson said that the ban will be introduced in supermarkets first, and that corner shop owners would anyway have to "diversify" as smoking rates fall.

The Health Secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Any sane, rational and sensible Government will be focusing on removing what is the biggest public health risk."

Evidence from abroad shows that under-age smoking rates have been cut by as much as 10%, while no retailers have been forced to close, said the Department of Health.

Mr Johnson said that the cost of changing shop layouts to accommodate the ban would not be "horrendous", citing evidence from Canada suggesting it came to about £500 a shop.

Official statistics show that almost 200,000 children aged between 11-15 were regular smokers in 2007.

And the "overwhelming majority" of the 100,000 responses to a consultation on the new measures backed a ban on point-of-sale displays as a good way of protecting these young people from the dangers of smoking.

Mr Johnson revealed that he had ditched a plan to ban the sale of cigarettes in packs of 10, which are thought to be within the range of pocket money purchasers. The consultation revealed concerns that this might erect a further obstacle for adults trying to cut down their intake.

He said: "This is primarily about children - 11 to 15-year-olds. Advertising has been removed from television, film and newspapers. The only point now where there is advertising is point-of-sale.

"Other countries have found when they banned point-of-sale displays, they reduced the number of young people taking up smoking.

"That is the primary concern we have here. Also, having these displays prompts impulse purchases and makes it more difficult for people who are determined to quit to actually quit."

In a written statement to Parliament today, Mr Johnson will promise a "fully inclusive" implementation across England with all possible help given to businesses to deal with any impact.

Vending machines, believed to be the source of cigarettes for up to a fifth of young smokers, will also face a ban or age-proofing measures such as a requirement to buy tokens for the machines rather than using cash.

And there will be a promise of more research on whether forcing cigarette firms to sell their products in plain packaging could further reduce the appeal to under 18s.

TMA director Chris Ogden told Today: "We are in the grip of a recession and it is hardly the time to knock small businesses by measures such as these.

"It is the retailers more than the manufacturers that are going to be hit by these proposals, and we feel a great deal of concern for them.

"They rely significantly on tobacco sales for their income and by losing sales to the bigger outlets, which is the inevitable result of this, they will also lose opportunity sales from smokers such as newspapers and chocolate bars."

He defended point-of-sale displays: "It is a legal product and it allows consumer choice and competition between manufacturers and retailers."

Mr Johnson said: "We will remove point-of-sale display from big supermarkets first."

But he warned that smaller shops will anyway not be able to rely on tobacco to provide a large slice of their income in future: "The number of people smoking is reducing and will continue to reduce so there needs to be diversification because that is going to happen remorselessly."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown told MPs last month that it was "not good enough" that smoking rates among children had only been cut from 13% to 6%.

The Government has already raised the age limit for buying tobacco from 16 to 18.

Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) welcomed the announcement, although it was "disappointed" that tobacco sales would still be permitted from vending machines.

Ash director Deborah Arnott said: "The Government is to be congratulated on getting rid of these deadly displays, temptingly placed to attract children right by the sweet counter in corner shops, newsagents, supermarkets and petrol stations throughout the land.

"Claims that businesses will fail because of this measure are unfounded. In other countries which have brought in such measures they have been both popular and effective, without putting shops out of business."

Ash urged the Government to announce a complete ban on vending machines, saying moves to locate them away from areas used by children had failed.

Ms Arnott said: "Further restricting access to vending machines as opposed to banning sales of tobacco products altogether is a half-baked measure.

"It will do little or nothing to reduce under-age smoking, whilst incurring additional costs to vending machine manufacturers."

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the British Medical Association (BMA), said: "This is very good news and will help prevent children from starting to smoke.

"Children who smoke face years of tobacco addiction that can lead to life-threatening diseases and premature death.

"However, the BMA is disappointed that the Government is not planning to ban cigarette vending machines.

"We hope the proposals to make vending machines 'child-proof' will be rigidly enforced and that if they do not work then this issue will be revisited by ministers."

Simon Clark, director of the smokers' lobby group Forest, said: "There is no evidence that putting tobacco under the counter will have a significant impact on youth smoking rates.

"It's gesture politics, designed to denormalise smokers in the hope that they will give up.

"In future it will be easier to buy a pornographic magazine than a packet of cigarettes. What message does that send to young people?"

He added: "A display ban will threaten the livelihoods of thousands of small retailers and will almost certainly encourage more illicit trade."

Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "We are very encouraged by the announcement to put cigarettes out of sight but disappointed that vending machines will still be available.

"Nearly 50,000 teenage smokers get their cigarettes from vending machines so this is a missed opportunity.

"More than 80% of smokers start before the age of 19 and tobacco kills half of all long-term smokers so the need for action remains as important as ever.

"We urge the Government to introduce these measures as soon as possible, and to consider further measures that are needed.

"In particular, we hope they will work quickly towards developing and implementing tobacco control plans that are ambitious, comprehensive and well-funded."