This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-12680815
The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Tobacco displays to be banned from shops | Tobacco displays to be banned from shops |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| By Nick Triggle Health reporter, BBC News | By Nick Triggle Health reporter, BBC News |
| Tobacco displays in shops will be banned in England as part of a package of measures to discourage smoking. | Tobacco displays in shops will be banned in England as part of a package of measures to discourage smoking. |
| Instead, cigarettes and other products will have to be kept under-the-counter from 2012 for large stores and 2015 for small shops, ministers have announced. | |
| A consultation will also be launched on whether manufacturers should be forced to put cigarettes into plain packets. | A consultation will also be launched on whether manufacturers should be forced to put cigarettes into plain packets. |
| A fifth of adults smoke - a figure which has remained steady in recent years after decades of rapid falls. | A fifth of adults smoke - a figure which has remained steady in recent years after decades of rapid falls. |
| Legislation | Legislation |
| Both steps have been under discussion for a number of years with legislation to ban the display of tobacco products put in place by the Labour government before it lost power last year. The coalition had initially said it wanted to review the plan before proceeding. | Both steps have been under discussion for a number of years with legislation to ban the display of tobacco products put in place by the Labour government before it lost power last year. The coalition had initially said it wanted to review the plan before proceeding. |
| A number of countries, including Canada, Ireland, Iceland and Finland, have already introduced similar bans, while Scotland and Northern Ireland are moving in that direction. Wales has no immediate plans for a ban, but said it is watching the situation closely across the rest of the UK. | |
| But England will be the first country in Europe to force tobacco companies to put cigarettes in plain, unbranded packets, if it goes ahead. Australia is due to introduce the measure in 2012. | But England will be the first country in Europe to force tobacco companies to put cigarettes in plain, unbranded packets, if it goes ahead. Australia is due to introduce the measure in 2012. |
| The plain packaging measure is only a proposal at this stage and will be put forward for consultation. Campaigners believe it will make purchasing cigarettes less appealing and enhance the effectiveness of health warnings. | The plain packaging measure is only a proposal at this stage and will be put forward for consultation. Campaigners believe it will make purchasing cigarettes less appealing and enhance the effectiveness of health warnings. |
| Both measures have been set out in the government's tobacco control strategy, which marks the start of the publication of a series of public health plans. Separate strategies on alcohol and drugs are expected in the coming months. | |
| The strategy also sets out "national ambitions" to reduce smoking rates from 21.2% to 18.5% by the end of 2015, with specific targets for pregnant women and 15-year-olds. | |
| Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said he wanted to see the numbers falling faster in the next five years than they had in the past five. | |
| "We want to do everything we can to help people to choose to stop smoking and encourage young people not to start smoking in the first place. We will help local communities to take a comprehensive approach to reducing smoking so we can change social attitudes to smoking." | |
| Martin Dockrell, of the campaign group Ash, praised the government for its plans, saying there was "strong evidence" they would stop people taking up smoking. | |
| On banning shop displays, he added: "Regular smokers know what brand they smoke before they go into the shop and don't need a display to remind them. In truth, these displays serve two functions - they promote brands to new young smokers and they trigger sales to people who did not intend to buy. Every morning when the ex-smoker goes into a shop to buy a paper the tobacco companies are waiting for them, putting their brand in front of them." | On banning shop displays, he added: "Regular smokers know what brand they smoke before they go into the shop and don't need a display to remind them. In truth, these displays serve two functions - they promote brands to new young smokers and they trigger sales to people who did not intend to buy. Every morning when the ex-smoker goes into a shop to buy a paper the tobacco companies are waiting for them, putting their brand in front of them." |
| Shadow public health minister Diane Abbott said she welcomed the moves, but said they were "building on" what Labour had done through its anti-smoking legislation, including the ban on smoking in public places and on the advertising of tobacco products. | Shadow public health minister Diane Abbott said she welcomed the moves, but said they were "building on" what Labour had done through its anti-smoking legislation, including the ban on smoking in public places and on the advertising of tobacco products. |
| But ahead of publication of the strategy, the government was criticised by a Tory backbencher who said the plain packaging plan was "gesture politics of the worst kind" and would represent a "triumph for the nanny state". | |
| And Debbie Corris, of the Tobacco Retailers Alliance, said: "There is no evidence this will reduce smoking. If anything, plain packaging will cause a problem with more counterfeiting - plain packets are not that difficult to copy - while banning displays will hit smaller retailers hard. We are disappointed about this." | |
Comments | Comments |
| You are not currently signed in. Sign in or register. | You are not currently signed in. Sign in or register. |
|
|
| I smoke and I have no intention of giving up, although I never smoke indoors. By lowering my life expectancy I will be less of a burden to the state. If I develop lung cancer, morphine is cheap; saving the NHS the cost of having to manage the degenerative diseases of old age. We will all die of something. While they are at it, why doesn't the government apply the same rules to the sale of alcohol? | I smoke and I have no intention of giving up, although I never smoke indoors. By lowering my life expectancy I will be less of a burden to the state. If I develop lung cancer, morphine is cheap; saving the NHS the cost of having to manage the degenerative diseases of old age. We will all die of something. While they are at it, why doesn't the government apply the same rules to the sale of alcohol? |
| Report this comment | Report this comment |
| Link to this | Link to this |
| | |
| I am a smoking advisor and I don’t think this will work.People will buy the cigarettes regardless.I think the best way to tackle any issue like tobacco,alcohol etc is good education on the subject and good family upbringing.I think we need more tough measures on alcohol.We hear so many stories where domestic violence has resulted from alcohol. | I am a smoking advisor and I don’t think this will work.People will buy the cigarettes regardless.I think the best way to tackle any issue like tobacco,alcohol etc is good education on the subject and good family upbringing.I think we need more tough measures on alcohol.We hear so many stories where domestic violence has resulted from alcohol. |
| Report this comment | Report this comment |
| Link to this | Link to this |
| | |
| Personally as a smoker I dont think this will make any difference, it certainly isnt going to make me suddenly stop. I'm all for helping people to give up if they wish but it should be a case of offering the support and not forcing it on people the way they are. Has anyone considered the tax shortfall that we would have if everyone gave up, smoking generates 10bn per year and costs the nhs about 2 | Personally as a smoker I dont think this will make any difference, it certainly isnt going to make me suddenly stop. I'm all for helping people to give up if they wish but it should be a case of offering the support and not forcing it on people the way they are. Has anyone considered the tax shortfall that we would have if everyone gave up, smoking generates 10bn per year and costs the nhs about 2 |
| Report this comment | Report this comment |
| Link to this | Link to this |
| | |
| Plain wrappers will be a godsend to counterfeiters. It will also increase the likelihood that people will unknowingly smoke counterfeit cigarettes with the increased health risks that this will bring. Even if I was a non-smoker I would be strongly against such a change. | Plain wrappers will be a godsend to counterfeiters. It will also increase the likelihood that people will unknowingly smoke counterfeit cigarettes with the increased health risks that this will bring. Even if I was a non-smoker I would be strongly against such a change. |
| Report this comment | Report this comment |
| Link to this | Link to this |
| Add your comment | Add your comment |
| You are not currently signed in. Sign in or register. | You are not currently signed in. Sign in or register. |