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Government right to avoid tobacco display ban, say retailers
- Wednesday 3rd December

Shopkeepers today welcomed the announcement following the Queen’s Speech of measures to tackle underage smoking, but warned against imposing a ban on the display of tobacco products which would drive thousands of shops out of business without delivering any reduction in youth smoking rates.

Ken Patel, a newsagent from Leicester and National Spokesman for the Tobacco Retailers Alliance said: “"The government must hold good to its commitment to support small businesses in what is an unprecedented economic climate," said Mr. Patel.

"A display ban has not worked in reducing youth smoking anywhere in the world. All it has achieved in places like Canada and Iceland, over several years, is to drive family-run businesses in to economic ruin and reduce convenience and choice for shoppers."

"In a country where, already, four in ten tobacco products bought yield no revenue to the exchequer it would be the height of madness to introduce regulations that would not only force shops out of business but would give the black market trade in tobacco its biggest ever single boost.”

The Alliance spokesman pointed out that there was no evidence that putting all tobacco products out of sight would have any impact on sales to youths, citing the fact that in Iceland, where tobacco displays were banned in 2001, youth smoking rates had not been impacted.

“We need to increase enforcement of the existing laws and make it illegal to buy tobacco on behalf of minors, known as proxy purchasing. Research shows that more under-age smokers access tobacco through a proxy purchaser than from a newsagent.”

Ken continued: “Youth smoking is at an all-time low, thanks in part to the diligence of shopkeepers, but more needs to be done. Independent retailers are now looking forward to working with Government on a constructive strategy to further reduce youth access to tobacco. The answer to the problem of youth smoking does not lie entirely with small shops. Any restrictions on small businesses must be balanced, proportionate and evidence-based.”

For further comment or comment,
please contact Katherine Graham on 07962 384 254.

NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Tobacco Retailers Alliance a coalition of 25,000 independent retailers. For 25 years we have represented the rights of legitimate retailers to sell tobacco products in a legal and responsible way. Through our Retailers Against Smuggling campaign, we have worked towards reducing the prevalence of smuggled and counterfeit tobacco products. Last year we launched Responsible Retailers, a new campaign to encourage and promote responsibility in retailing tobacco products.

Banning retail dislpays of tobacco would impact on small shops in five ways:
• Cost of compliance estimated at £2,000 - £5,000 per shop
• Displaced trade to larger retail outlets
• Boosting the already significant black market
• Undermining retail efficiency
• Threatening shop security

Early Day Motion no. 1904 in support of small shops on the issue of tobacco displays attracted 100 signatures of cross-party support. Click here

27% of cigarettes and 68% of hand-rolling tobacco consumed in Britain is non-UK duty paid. Around 3% of total UK cigarette consumption is estimated to be counterfeit. The black market in tobacco causes a loss to the Treasury as much as £11 million every day.

A study by the Centre for Economic and Business Research found that 2,600 shops would cease to be profitable, causing a potential loss of 8,000 jobs, if shops were forced to hide tobacco products out of sight.