According to a new investigation, funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, younger individuals are more likely to take up smoking if they find tobacco displays in shops attractive and if they easily recall seeing the displays.
Investigators based at the University of Stirling, UK, interviewed approximately 950 non-smoking young individuals aged between 11-16 years from across the UK. Susceptibility to smoking, recall and attraction to tobacco displays in shops were assessed.
In order to determine their susceptibility to smoking, the authors asked if the participants had made a firm decision to not smoke or if they may smoke in the future.
Among the participants, 27% were classified as susceptible. Eight out of ten (81%) reported that they noticed the tobacco displays behind the counter, almost one in five paid close attention to the displays, one in four considered them to be eye-catching and one in eight thought the displays were attractive. They discovered that being attracted to the tobacco displays was positively linked with susceptibility.
Over 70% of participants supported removing shop displays and putting the tobacco out of sight.
Anne Marie Mackintosh, lead researcher, explained:
“Our findings show a link between the smoking susceptibility of young people and tobacco displays in shops. Demonstrating that young people who had never smoked appear vulnerable to the colorful and brightly lit tobacco displays is a real concern and reinforces the importance of putting those displays out of sight.”
In April 2010 across England and Wales, legislation to remove tobacco displays in supermarkets will come into force, and for smaller retail outlets in April 2015.
Jean King, Cancer Research UK’s director of tobacco control, commented:
“Tobacco advertising and marketing has been banned in the UK since 2002, but a loophole has meant that huge walls of tobacco have remained on display in nearly every corner store and shop across the country. Protecting young people from tobacco marketing is vital if we are to stop more young people from starting an addiction that kills half of all long term smokers. This research adds further evidence showing that putting tobacco out of sight is without a doubt the right move to make.”
Grace Rattue