Smoke screen

Published on Sunday 16 August 2009 20:51

Sheila Duffy of ASH Scotland tells us that a "display ban is about stopping advertising to young people, not stopping adult smokers buying tobacco or shops selling it" (Letters, 6 August).

It's staggering that ASH Scotland seeks to perpetuate this fallacy. In the first instance, the vast majority of the academic research looks more explicitly at tobacco advertising than tobacco displays, which is an important distinction. Statements of causality cannot be made between displays and smoking prevalence when what is being studied are more explicit forms of advertising.

Since the introduction of graphic warnings on all cigarette packets it is difficult to argue that any form of display is appealing, or an effective advertisement. A graphic depiction of throat cancer, a corpse, open-heart surgery, and warnings that smoking can kill don't exactly sell a product. Indeed, research shows that such warnings on cigarette packets destroy brand value.

Finally, even Sheila Duffy has to concede that our young have to first see the displays before they can have any effect. As the Scottish Government's own statistics show, 87 per cent of regular youth smokers obtain their cigarettes from friends or family. Regardless of how alarmist ASH Scotland wishes to be, the fact remains there are only 1.36 new smokers for every tobacco outlet across Scotland each year.

JACKSON CARLAW MSP

shadow minister for public health

Scottish Parliament