Shopkeepers to have their say on impending tobacco display ban

A CONSULTATION giving shopkeepers their say about the ban on tobacco displays will be launched today.

The law banning tobacco displays and cigarette vending sales was approved by the Scottish Parliament three months ago. It aims to stop children from starting to smoke and reduce the number of lung cancer deaths.

The three-month consultation gives retailers the chance to comment on how the restrictions will be implemented in stores. Proposals include restricting the customer's view of tobacco products at the point of sale so that only one packet of cigarettes or pouch of tobacco is visible at that time.

It means retailers will be obliged to conceal their tobacco display, so that rows of cigarette packets are not visible when the shopkeeper reaches for a product. Other proposals include a 200 fine for anyone caught buying or selling tobacco to under-18s. Public health minister Shona Robison urged shopkeepers to give their opinion on how the display ban will work in stores.

She said: "I know some retailers had concerns about proposals to ban cigarette displays but the display ban is now law, and I would urge retailers to use this consultation as an opportunity to shape the future of tobacco retailing in Scotland."

The Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill bans shops from displaying cigarettes and other tobacco products, bans cigarette vending machines and introduces a registration system for tobacco retailers. The display ban comes into force next year for large retailers and in 2013 for small shops.

Specialist tobacconists are exempt from the ban. Tobacco displays will be permitted in cash and carry and duty-free stores if they're confined to a secluded area.

Robison said: "Cigarettes kill and we're determined to do all we can both to help people quit and dissuade today's children from becoming tomorrow's smokers. It's a stark fact that a child who starts smoking at 14 or younger is four times more likely to die of lung cancer than someone who starts to smoke at age 24 or over."

The consultation begins tomorrow and runs until the end of July.