Tobacco display ban moves a step closer with Holyrood vote

Published on Thursday 24 September 2009 22:13

NEW laws that would ban the display of tobacco in Scottish shops have passed their first parliamentary hurdle.

MSPs yesterday voted through the first stage of a new public health bill that would also see cigarette vending machines banned. The Scottish Government says the bill is needed to help prevent children from taking up smoking.

Public health minister Shona Robison said: "I believe we have a duty to act decisively to prevent children and young people from starting to smoke in the first place, so they and future generations of young Scots might avoid the devastating consequences."

But opponents warned a display ban could increase illegal trade and that there was no evidence to back the move.

Daniel Torras, managing director of the UK section of tobacco giant JTI, said he supported measures to clamp down on underage smoking by introducing tougher laws on adults buying tobacco for youngsters and raising the legal age limit to 18, but argued that a display ban would not work.

He pointed to similar moves in New Zealand, Norway and Canada, and said they showed a lack of evidence to support a display ban.

"The evidence suggests that it is not display bans but social and family influences that persuade children to smoke," he said.

Mr Torras added that a display ban would make the problem of contraband cigarettes worse by "blurring the lines" between what was legal and illegal. But his arguments failed to convince MSPs. Labour health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson said he regularly asked primary six and seven schoolchildren visiting Holyrood what they see when they go into convenience stores.

He said: "They refer to three things: sweets, alcohol and tobacco. I promise you tobacco is always there. This is a form of advertising – there can be no doubt whatsoever about that."

SNP health committee convener Christine Grahame also dismissed concerns from small traders over the cost of implementing a display ban to their businesses.

She said: "Most members (of the committee] are not persuaded that the costs would be excessive or indeed that the tobacco manufacturers might not cover some of that cost."

However, the Conservatives voted against the ban. Health spokeswoman Mary Scanlon said: "There is no conclusive causal relationship between tobacco displays and a higher prevalence of youth smoking."