REV FRED NILE CALLS FOR A BAN ON TOBACCO DISPLAYS

Wednesday 5^th November 2007

In light of recent scientific research on the effects that cigarette displays have on smokers trying to quit, the Rev Fred Nile, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, has again raised the issue in State Parliament and called on the Labor Government to heed the advise of experts and support a ban on all public display of cigarette packaging.

“I draw to the attention of the House the subject of banning cigarette displays—now. I am very pleased that a special study, undertaken by Professor Melanie Wakefield of the Cancer Council of Victoria, aimed to assess the extent to which cigarette packet displays in retail stores stimulate impulse purchases of cigarettes. The telephone survey involved 526 adults who smoked factory-made cigarettes and 67 recent quitters. I have always believed that the display of cigarette packets in supermarkets and retail stores close to the checkout counter would make it very difficult for someone who is trying to quit smoking. Professor Wakefield's survey has confirmed that that is the reality. Displays of cigarette packets behind the shop counters tempt would-be quitters back to smoking”, Rev Fred Nile stated in Parliament last night.

“The world-first study led by Australian researchers found that more than one-third of smokers who were trying to quit or cut down were tempted to buy cigarettes as a direct result of seeing them on display, and 60 per cent of those gave in to the urge, forking out at least once, even though they had never intended to buy any cigarettes. The research has been published in the international journal Addiction and proves that recent quitters are lured back into the habit by large glossy pack displays. The findings have prompted health groups to call on governments to make removing cigarette pack displays from sight in the retail environment an urgent public health priority. Professor Wakefield said the tobacco industry's increasing reliance on cigarette pack displays was a marketing ploy to create maximum standout cigarette packs. I have interviewed a number of retail outlets because they all have very attractive displays, not just showing the packets but also the very modern metal display cases supplied by cigarette companies that indicate where they want the displays to be placed. Professor Wakefield stated:

The importance to the tobacco industry of cigarette pack displays in the retail environment has gained in recent years, as traditional electronic, billboard and print forms of tobacco marketing are restricted.

Far from being a benign marketing practice, our study illustrates that cigarette pack displays in retail stores to tricky impulse buying of cigarettes among smokers, even those who are trying to quit, every time they visit a store.

Professor Wakefield said that the tobacco industry marketing tactic of creating colour coordinated power walls of cigarettes at the point of sale may also tempt recent quitters to relapse. She said:

More than half of long-term smokers will die of a smoking caused disease. So in light of these findings we urge all jurisdictions to develop legislation to remove tobacco displays from sight in retail stores.

Quit executive director Fiona Sharkie supported the call, saying it would ease the regulatory burden for tobacco retailers, as the current legislation is incredibly complicated. She said:

Removing cigarette displays from point of sale is not about making life hard for retailers, in fact it will simplify the regulatory process.

As members know, I have introduced and given notice of a bill to achieve this purpose, and the inquiry of the Joint Select Committee into Smoking also recommended restrictions on cigarette displays. It did not go all the way to recommending that cigarette displays should be totally banned but it came up with an almost one square foot display as a compromise recommendation. I believe it is better to remove the displays altogether. I urge the Government to give consideration to these recommendations from the Cancer Council of Australia that all governments should legislate to ensure that tobacco products are not displayed at retail outlets”, Rev Nile said.