Banning tobacco displays 'misguided', says Imperial

Published on Monday 26 April 2010 19:01

CIGARETTE manufacturer Imperial Tobacco has stepped up its fight against the ban on the display of tobacco products in retail outlets from October next year.

Today the Scottish Government will launch a consultation on how the legislation will be put into practice in Scotland.

The group is seeking a judicial review to challenge the legislation, which it claimed yesterday was "misguided" and would fuel illicit trade. Large retailers will not be able to display tobacco products from October 2011, extending to small retailers in 2013 under the Health Act 2009.

Gareth Davis, chief executive of Imperial, said: "There is no credible evidence to support the idea that children start smoking or that adult smokers continue to smoke as a result of the display of tobacco products. If this misguided legislation is implemented it will simply fuel the growth in the illicit trade of tobacco

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) criticised the legislation for imposing "unnecessary costs and logistical difficulties".

BRC spokesman Richard Dodd said: "We recognise the health concerns of course, but there's no evidence that imposing this sort of display ban will make any difference at all to the take-up of smoking."