BERR Must Not Be Allowed To Derail Measures To Protect Children From Tobacco, UK

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 02 Dec 2008 - 4:00 PST

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Following the Government's public consultation on the future of tobacco control which closed on 8 September, it was expected that a number of new measures to protect children from tobacco would be included in the Queen's speech on Wednesday, 3rd December. However, pressure from Peter Mandelson and the Department of Business and Regulatory Reform (BERR) may have jeopardised these proposals which include a ban on the sale of tobacco from vending machines and the removal of tobacco products from public view in retail outlets.

The DH consultation on the future of tobacco control received overwhelming backing for strong legislation from nearly 100,000 respondents, nearly twice as many as for the consultation on smokefree legislation, including many health professionals and most of Britain's leading public health and welfare organisations. Cancer Research UK recently delivered a petition to the Secretary of State for Health with 50,000 signatories in support of the legislation. Reinforcing the call for action on tobacco control, Karol Sikora, the Medical Director of Cancer Partners UK, speaking on Radio 4's Today programme this morning, warned politicians not to meddle with public health on the basis of purely business interests. The National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Mike Richards, added that: "further action on smoking and health is absolutely vital" and urged the Government to include the proposals to ban tobacco marketing at the point of sale in the new health bill.

The UK proposals follow guidance issued at a conference of international government representatives who met in mid-November in Durban, South Africa. [1]

In a report published by ASH in October to mark the tenth anniversary of 'Smoking kills', the charity called on the Government to introduce a comprehensive tobacco control strategy with clear goals and challenging targets for both the medium and long term. [2] ASH believes that if such a strategy were to be implemented, including the legislation, smoking prevalence could be reduced to 11% of all adults and to 17% among adults in routine and manual socio-economic groups by 2015. (Current rates are 22% and 29% respectively). This would amount to 4.5 million fewer smokers.

Research commissioned for the 'Beyond Smoking Kills' report revealed a high level of public support for a range of tobacco control measures including a ban on tobacco display at the point of sale, a ban on tobacco vending machines, and a requirement to hold a licence to sell tobacco products. [3]

Other research, also published in the report, shows that tobacco branding and packaging sends misleading messages to young people. Although it has been illegal since 2003 for manufacturers to use trademarks, text or any sign to suggest that one tobacco product is less harmful than another, this research shows that products bearing the word 'smooth' or using lighter coloured branding mislead young people into thinking that these products are less harmful to their health.

ASH Director, Deborah Arnott, said:

"There is strong public support for measures that will make it harder for children to get hold of cigarettes and to make smoking less attractive to young people. We urge the Government to hold its nerve and not allow short term political concerns over imagined threats to corner shops to wreck its strong record on tackling smoking."

[1] The Second 'Conference of the Parties' (COP) of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) met in Durban, South Africa from 17 to 21 November. The COP adopted a number of strong guidelines including measures to reduce tobacco marketing.

The following recommendation was made on retail display and vending machines:

"Recommendation:

Display and visibility of tobacco products at points of sale constitutes advertising and promotion and should therefore be banned. Vending machines should be banned because they constitute by their very presence a means of advertising and promotion."

And on plain packaging:

"Recommendation:

Packaging and product design are important elements of advertising and promotion. Parties should consider adopting plain packaging requirements to eliminate the effects of advertising or promotion on packaging. Packaging, individual cigarettes or other tobacco products should carry no advertising or promotion, including design features that make products attractive."

[2] A full copy of Beyond Smoking Kills is available at http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_691.pdf A copy of the executive summary is available at http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_692.pdf

[3] The YouGov Poll commissioned by ASH found that among adults in England:

- 59% supported a ban on the display of tobacco products at the point of sale
- 65% supported a ban on the sale of tobacco products from vending machines
- 86% supported a requirement to hold a licence to sell tobacco and for this to be revoked if the retailer sold tobacco to children

ASH