A common excuse for not doing more about tobacco is that we don't want to be a "Nanny State." 

Unfortunately, it's children and young people who have been, and still are, the tobacco industry's prime targets. Most smokers become addicted while they're still children - often seeking to emulate young adults, and influenced by glamourised smoking in films, TV shows, music or fashion. 

For decades, tobacco companies' own documents show they've targeted "new smokers"  - a euphemism for children, since the industry knows over 80% of "new smokers" are under 18, and half are under 16.  

While mouthing that Mother of all Motherhood Statements, "We don't want children to smoke", the industry continues to fight measures which would reduce smoking among both adults and young people.   Overseas: see Philip Morris opposes proven measures to reduce child smoking:  Tobacco-Free Kids release 15/7/05    and in Australia: see (2008)  Philip Morris scares retailers - and the truth about their arguments 

Look at the Tobacco Industry's record  on targeting children  - and some of their  marketing ploys  aimed at youth.

Words are cheap. 

A national alliance of health, medical, child welfare, educational, church, social equity, community and research organisations want effective  action  to protect children from tobacco - and no "but(t)s". 

AIMS  of ASH and 40 health, child welfare and other groups
NEWS - new moves, research and developments on protecting kids
RESOURCES - including ASH factsheets and video
RESEARCH EVIDENCE  for measures to protect children
STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION - national / world scoresheet
ILLEGAL SUPPLY TO CHILDREN

 

Tobacco in kids' faces: Australian convenience store and supermarket 2006

In Australia, there are 35,000 tobacco retail outlets like those above - not just tobacconists but supermarkets, petrol stations, newsagents, bottle shops, convenience and corner stores.
Pricewaterhouse report May 2005, "Sales of Cigarettes and Tobacco Products by Type of Retail Business"

Exposure to retail displays encourages children to smoke:  see  RESEARCH EVIDENCE

AIMS

The aims below are endorsed by over 40 children's, parents', teachers', health, welfare, church, social equity and research organisations.    
See  current list of aims and supporting organisations

All these organisations would like to see in all states and territories:

- All tobacco products out of sight in all retail outlets.
See how tobacco displays look NOW - and how they can be put OUT OF SIGHT!  
Why tobacco displays should be banned  with  No messy exceptions & exemptions
Send an action email now to major supermarkets   

- No staff under 18 allowed to be involved with selling tobacco.  
See  Why children should not sell tobacco

- Comprehensive  licensing/registration of tobacco sellers. See  The case for licensing tobacco sellers      See Licensing of Tobacco Retailers and Wholesalers: Desirability and Best Practice Arrangements - 2002 report to Commonwealth Health Dept

- Cars carrying children made smokefree.  See background and factsheet on  smokefree cars

- Public places highly frequented by children, such as playgrounds, public swimming pools and food service areas, made smokefree.  See smokefree public places  

- A ban on the sale of tobacco products targeted at youth.

- A ban on sale of tobacco from temporary outlets including music events and vending machines.  see pics and  ASH media release 4/8/07  

- Stronger laws against sale of tobacco to children; and increasing penalties for breaking them.

ASH Australia would also like to see... 

• Better funding of campaigns to reduce smoking
  Especially among children; but note that reducing smoking among young adults will help to achieve this, since teenagers emulate what they see young adults do or what they think young adults do. 
  
• Stronger action against tobacco promotion in films 
  Young people seeing smoking in films tend  to smoke more. Most top Australian movies show smoking. We want to reduce this impact by mandating "counter-ads" before any film with smoking. 
  See Cancer Council NSW page on  Smoking in movies
  
• An end to devious tobacco promotion under different names. 
  See some of Big Tobacco's latest dubious marketing ploys (and see our slideshow Tobacco marketing below the line)

NEWS

... FROM AUSTRALIA

Liberals' Abbott told: protecting children from smoke not "trivial"
2/7/09: the Protecting Children from Tobacco coalition has expressed strong concern over remarks by Federal Opposition frontbencher Tony Abbott that laws to protect children from secondhand smoke in cars are "trivial". PCFT has asked for clarification and reassurance by Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull that the views are not shared by the party's leaders.  See  PCFT coalition media release 2/7/09  and  ABC report of Abbott remarks 

NSW law to protect children takes effect 
1/7/09: New laws come into effect today making cars carrying children under 16 smokefree, and starting the countdown to ending tobacco display in all shops except tobacconists within 12 months. The bill also tightens controls of selling from shops and vending machines, bans selling child-friendly tobacco or cigarette-like products and the selling of tobacco from temporary structures. See  Minister's media release with Protecting Children form Tobacco coalition 1/7/09    See  NSW Tobacco Bill   These reforms have weathered an aggressive tobacco industry scare campaign:  see earlier ASH release 21/7/08  and  Philip Morris scares retailers - and the truth about their arguments        

Victorian bill introduced
25/6/09:  A bill to end shop display of tobacco and make cars carrying children smokefree has been introduced into the Victorian parliament. The bill is part of a Victorian government commitment to: 
- put all tobacco products out of sight in shops from Jan 2011;
- make cars carrying children under 18 smokefree by law from Jan 2010;
- ban smoking from all school grounds from 1 Jul 2009;

- end sales of cigarettes from temporary outlets - e.g. race days, music festivals; and
- ban tobacco products targeting young people. 
See the   Victorian strategy

Wagga beats BAT to protect children, workers 

31/3/09: Wagga Wagga City Council (NSW) has been applauded for its decision to go ahead with smokefree playgrounds and al fresco dining areas in the face of aggressive tobacco industry interference. See  ASH media release 31/3/09

ASH wrote in November 2008 to Wagga Councillors answering misleading arguments of British American Tobacco Australasia in a letter to councillors. BATA tried to derail the smokefree al fresco dining move by wrongly claiming that such policies hurt business and are opposed by tobacco control experts, and that BAT's Butt Littering Trust offers "evidence-based" alternatives.  See   ASH media release 27/11/08       See   excerpts from BATA letter and ASH response 

Meanwhile community support continues to soar for smokefree dining.  See NSW survey findings in  Aust & NZ Journal of Public Health article

ACT tightens sale and promotion laws; considers smokefree car options
1/3/09:  The ACT government will put tobacco out of sight in most shops by the end of 2009 and in tobacconists by the end of 2010 - the fastest deadline of any Australian state or territory. The new laws will also ban tobacco vending machines, ban flavoured and scented cigarettes, and ban tobacco immediately from shopper reward schemes. The ACT is also considering submissions on protecting children from secondhand smoke in cars. Options proposed include making cars carrying children smokefree, extending this to cars carrying any passengers, and banning smoking while driving. See  Canberra Times report 1/3/09   See  Minister's earlier release on cars 2/2/09  See  ASH submission    Protecting Children from Tobacco coalition submission 

Tobacco industry's tricky fashion ploy
15/12/08: Cigarettes were sold in upmarket fashion and hair outlets in an Imperial Tobacco campaign to lure young people into smoking. The promotion was later withdrawn after public protests.  See  Sunday Mail, SA 14/12/08 

WA bill would help kids breathe easier
26/11/08: A Private Members' Bill introduced into the Western Australian parliament would protect children by:

- making cars carrying children smokefree by law;
- making patrolled areas of beaches smokefree;

- making al fresco dining areas smokefree; and 
- putting tobacco out of sight in shops. 
The Bill was introduced by independent MP Janet Woollard into the finely-balanced WA parliament. 
See  ABC News report 26/11/08 

Queensland introduces bill to make cars carrying children smokefree
12/11/08: Queensland has introduced legislation to make cars carrying children under 16 smokefree. The bill also proposes to give local councils the right to ban smoking in public transport waiting areas, including bus shelters.  See  Qld health minister's media release 12/11/08

QANTAS stops pushing tobacco
29/10/08: Following a campaign by ASH and other concerned groups and individuals, QANTAS has confirmed it has stopped a trial promotion of duty-free cigarettes on in-flight trolleys in view of children. We congratulate QANTAS for its responsible decision. See earlier  ASH media release

NT flags tobacco out of sight in shops and sellers licensed
18/7/08: The Northern Territory government is proposing to ban smoking indoors in pubs, and also to put tobacco out of sight in shops and license sellers.  See  Minister Chris Burns media release 18/7/08 

Ministers agree on national ban of fruity cigarettes by end of 2009
23/5/08: Australian Health Ministers at the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy have agreed that all states and territories will enact legislation to prohibit the sale of fruit- and confectionery-flavoured cigarettes by December 2009.  MCDS communique 23/5/08

Cigarettes keep selling - because they're still in our faces
5/3/08: Tobacco is top of the grocery sales lists, occupying the No. 1 spot and 6 of the top 7. The latest Nielsen survey shows how hard it is to reduce smoking rates while cigarettes are promoted at such high visibility.   See  ASH media release 5/3/08  

Study says displays undermine quitting... as Tas sets 3-year deadline
22/11/07: A new study has shown quit attempts are undermined by tobacco displays in shops - as Tasmania's parliament moves to end displays by February 2011.   See  ASH / Protecting Children for Tobacco media release 22/11/07 

Call for generic (plain) packaging
August 2007: A compelling case is being made for plain packaging of tobacco.   See 2007  report with illustrations

.... FROM OVERSEAS

NZ government caves in to retailer pressure
24/2/09:  The New Zealand government has accepted flawed retailer arguments and backed away from putting tobacco products out of sights in shops. Prime Minister John Key says there's "no evidence" the move would save lives, and retailers have convinced him it would cost them too much. See NZPA / Melbourne Age report 24/2/09    See  RESEARCH EVIDENCE   
See independent NZ  study abstract  showing retailer arguments "contradictory, flawed, unsupported by evidence"

BAT accused of targeting African children
July 2008: Check this BBC documentary on British American Tobacco targeting African children with tobacco promotion. Is this a socially responsible corporate citizen?  "We don't want children to smoke" (now where have we heard that before?) - see  BAT response

Ireland puts tobacco out of sight      Details at  ASH Ireland 
9/7/08: The Republic of Ireland has announced 1 July 2009 as start date for  banning point of sale tobacco display and other measures to protect children. The key provisions:

• ban on all in-store/point-of-sale advertising of tobacco products,

• ban on the display of tobacco products in retail premises,

• introduction of a closed container / dispenser provision,

• tighter controls on the location and operation of tobacco vending machines,

• introduction of a retail register for tobacco retailers.

UK doctors urge governments to protect children
6/7/08: The British Medical Association has urged UK governments to crack down on promotion of tobacco to children in retail, films and other entertainment. The BMA proposes a total out-of-sight policy for tobacco in shops and proactive measures to counter positive images of smoking.     See  BMA release 6/7/08 with link to full report 

Scotland plans smokefree future including protecting children
22/5/08: Displays of cigarettes in shops are set to become a thing of the past as part of the Scottish Government's continuing drive to stop smoking and tobacco promotion to children. See  Scottish government plan    Proposals include:

• Legislating to restrict display of tobacco products at points of sale;

• Updating statutory controls on tobacco sales, with a view to introducing licensing;

• Banning mini-packs and reducing sales to youth from vending machines;

• Cracking down on smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes; and

• Considering moves towards plain packaging for cigarettes.

RESOURCES                        

ASH  FACTSHEETS on Protecting Children from Tobacco: 
 
Brief 2-page  Summary  of the retail display issue
Why tobacco displays should be banned
The truth about retailer claims  misleading our governments
Leading adman says: Product display is advertising
No exceptions, no exemptions
Why children should not sell tobacco
The case for licensing tobacco sellers
Kids in smoky cars
Current list of endorsements  - national and NSW organisations supporting effective measures to protect children

See also our 2006 factsheet Tobacco Facts on retail display


Tobacco displays: mini-documentary
The Cancer Society of New Zealand has recently released a mini-doco on the issue of tobacco displays. View  trailer and link to full version

Tear Down the Walls  
30/4/08 comment piece in the Ottawa Citizen makes a very good, reasoned analysis of why tobacco display "powerwalls" have so much impact on kids and why they should be removed.   See  the article 

Tear Down the Wall - Kiwi kids' vid
See this effective "racetrack" video made by New Zealand children supporting the camopaign to "Tear Down the Walls" ("powerwalls" of tobacco shop displays).  See the YouTube video 

Note:  the above video was made in 2006 and since then, the figure for the number of children smoking regularly has fallen - it is not now 205,000 but around 140,000. This is still an appalling figure - and if every child smoker is one too many, then every square metre of tobacco display is a square metre too much.

RESEARCH EVIDENCE  for measures to protect children from tobacco

Watching smoky movies can double teen uptake
30/3/09: Exposure to high levels of smoking scenes in movies can double smoking uptake between early teens and young adulthood, says a US study in Pediatrics journal. The authors tracked 1,790 non-smoking children aged 10-14 from 1999 and found that by 2006-7 those exposed to highest levels of smoking scenes in films were twice as likely to be established smokers as were those of lowest exposure.  See  study     

Retailer arguments defending tobacco displays slammed by NZ report
2/7/08: Study and research review in the NZ Medical Journal  has blasted retailer arguments in NZ against an out-of-sight policy (under consideration there) as “contradictory, flawed and unsupported by evidence.”  The same arguments are being put to Australian governments by tobacco dealers.  See  ASH media release 2/7/08     See  NZMJ study abstract    See NZ legislative review   

Study shows smoking in cars hazardous to health
20/3/08: A Canadian study confirms that smoking in a car presents a serious health risk to occupants, especially children - and ventilation does not remove the hazard. The University of Waterloo study measured secondhand smoke levels after one cigarette was smoked in 18 different cars - and found the worst examples were more hazardous than indoor-smoky bars.    See  Canada TV report      See  full study  

Displays of tobacco lure teens like lollies: study
Cigarette displays put teenagers at risk of becoming smokers, says a study presented to a Public Health Association Conference in New Zealand in July 2008. The survey of 27,000 NZ teenagers found that the more often 14-15 year olds visited shops with tobacco displays, the greater their risk of becoming smokers. A review of worldwide studies also confirmed significant tobacco display impact on smoking, especially for children.  See Paynter et al (2008)  study presentation 

Tobacco shop displays normalise tobacco and predispose children to smoke
Australian study from The Cancer Council Victoria shows how removing tobacco products from view would help reduce encouragement of kids to smoke.  See ASH media release 2/6/06  with link to study

Tobacco retail activity affects nearby school smoking rates
A Canadian study has found a link between retail tobacco activity - displays, lower prices - and the smoking rates in nearby schools. See the  study

Tobacco displays undermine quitting
An Australian study has shown quit attempts are undermined by tobacco displays in shops.   See  ASH / Protecting Children for Tobacco media release 22/11/07 

STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION   

TOBACCO OUT OF SIGHT IN SHOPS:
  
Australia 

ACT, NSW and Tasmania have legislated to end tobacco displays in shops. 
- ACT for all shops except tobacconists by end-2009, tobacconists by end-2010; 
- NSW for large shops by end-2009, smaller shops by mid-2010, tobacconists by 2013; 
- Tasmania for all but a few tobacconists by Feb 2011. 
The Victorian and WA governments also have legislation before parliament; NT has foreshadowed it.

Worldwide trend 

Three countries (Iceland, Thailand, Irish Republic) and eight Canadian provinces and territories, have adopted laws to prohibit the visible display of tobacco products at point of purchase. 

The list of those with legislation already passed:

• Iceland (in effect)

• Thailand (in effect)

• Republic of Ireland (from July 1, 2009)

• Canada: 8 provinces: Saskatchewan*, Manitoba*, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Quebec   * applies to areas accessible to under-18s

• Australia: 2 jurisdictions (NSW from end-2009, Tasmania from Feb. 2011)

Source:  ASH Australia, Canadian Cancer Society

LICENSING:   
SA, WA, Tas and ACT require tobacco sellers to be licensed. NSW has passed a limited "negative" licensing scheme.

CARS CARRYING CHILDREN SMOKEFREE:   
Already in force in SA, Tasmania and NSW; Victoria, Queensland and WA have introduced legislation; and ACT has the measure under review.  At least three US states have also enacted it.

SMOKEFREE CHILD-ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC PLACES:        See ASH smokefree public places webpage  
Queensland, by state law, has smokefree outdoor dining areas, children's playgrounds, beaches and some other areas. WA is considering a bill to ban smoking in most outdoor dining areas and some other areas. Tasmania has made at least 50% of each venue's outdoor dining areas smokefree. ACT has schoolgrounds smokefree and Victoria has introduced a bill to do the same. Other public places have been made smokefree by local councils.

VENDING MACHINES AND TEMPORARY OUTLETS:   
ACT has banned tobacco vending machines, NSW has limited it to ID-token system; NSW and Victoria have banned tobacco sales from temporary/mobile structures at  festivals and other events.

PRODUCTS TARGETING YOUTH:
Several jurisdictions have acted against individual products; and all Australian Health Ministers at the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy have agreed that all states and territories will enact legislation to prohibit the sale of fruit- and confectionery-flavoured cigarettes by December 2009.   

ILLEGAL SUPPLY TO CHILDREN

Even though it's illegal to supply cigarettes to children, over 140,000 Australian school children are weekly smokers - and 23% obtain their cigarettes from retailers - including over a third of 16-17-year-olds.  See National Drug Strategy's  Smoking behaviours of Australian secondary students (2005)

Follow these links for more information for school students and staff;   for tertiary students and staff;  for parents. 

Tips for taking tobacco action

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Page last updated 2/7/09