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PROTECTING
CHILDREN FROM TOBACCO: aims and endorsing organisations
A standard excuse by governments for
weak tobacco laws is not wanting to be a "Nanny
State."
But young people - including children
- are still the tobacco industry's
prime targets.
At least 80% of smokers start before they turn 18, half
before 16. They
often copy young adults, and are influenced by
smoking associated with films, TV, music, fashion or sport. Tobacco companies know this. Their own
documents show their many strategies for recruiting "new
smokers" - a euphemism for children. Look at
the Tobacco
Industry's record on targeting children - and some of
their marketing
ploys aimed at youth.
Tobacco companies often claim "We don't want children to smoke"
- but
they lobby aggressively against evidence-based measures to 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
Words are cheap.
Protecting Children
from Tobacco, a national coalition of health, medical,
child welfare, educational, church, social equity, community and
research organisations, wants effective action to protect children from tobacco - and
no "but(t)s".
AIMS of
Protecting Children from Tobacco partners
NEWS - new moves, research and developments on protecting kids
RESEARCH
EVIDENCE for measures to protect children
RESOURCES - including ASH factsheets and video
STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
- national / world scoresheet
ILLEGAL SUPPLY TO CHILDREN
In
and out
of kids' faces: NSW convenience store 2006.... and supermarket
2010
See Tobacco in
and out of sight in retail outlets: more pics
NSW:
Seen a possible breach of the new out-of-sight laws?
Call
the Tobacco Info line to report it: 1800
357 412 or email tobacco@doh.health.nsw.gov.au
In Australia, there are 35,000 tobacco
retail outlets - tobacconists, supermarkets, petrol
stations, newsagents, newsstands, bottle shops, convenience stores, corner
shops. Thousands of these still have tobacco in full view.
Pricewaterhouse report 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 PROTECTING
CHILDREN FROM TOBACCO :
over 40 children's, parents', teachers', health, welfare, church, social
equity and
research organisations. ASH is among these. We
want legislation to ensure that:
- All tobacco products
are out of sight in
all retail outlets.
See tobacco displays in full view - and how many are being put OUT OF
SIGHT!
Why
tobacco displays should be banned with No
messy exceptions & exemptions
- No staff under 18 are allowed to
be involved with selling tobacco.
See Why
children should not sell tobacco
- There
is comprehensive
licensing/registration of tobacco
sellers. See
The
case for licensing tobacco sellers See
Licensing
of tobacco retailers & wholesalers: Desirability and Best Practice
Arrangements (2002 report to Commonwealth Health Dept)
- Cars carrying children
are smokefree. See
background and factsheet on
smokefree cars
- Public places highly
frequented by children, such as playgrounds, public swimming pools and
food service areas, are smokefree. See
smokefree
public places
- There
is a total ban on the sale of tobacco products targeted at youth.
- There is a total ban on
the sale of
tobacco from temporary outlets including music events and vending machines. see pics
and ASH
media release 4/8/07
- Laws against
sale of tobacco to children are strengthened, with 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
NEWS
... FROM AUSTRALIA
Hobart
malls go smokefree
August 2010: Three major pedestrian
malls in Hobart are smokefree from August 1, thanks to Hobart City
Council. See Hobart
City Council media release 1/8/10 The
move was backed by very strong community and business support.
See
ABC
news report 2/12/09
Smokefree
Parramatta alfrescoes will be healthy, popular, good for trade
July 2010: Parramatta City Council
has adopted a 100% smokefree alfresco dining licences policy - the 19th
NSW council to do so. SmokeFree Australia has welcomed the decision as a
victory for safe workplaces and protection of staff and patrons,
including children. See
SmokeFree
Australia media release 27/7/10
Governments
urged to end shop displays as new study shows child impact
July 2010: the 41-member Protecting Children from Tobacco coalition has
called on all governments to push ahead with retail tobacco display bans
and make them more comprehensive, as a new Stanford University study
confirms shop ads raise child smoking uptake. See
PCT media
release 23/7/10 with link to study and factsheet
Brisbane
mall to go smokefree
July 2010: Brisbane City Council will introduce a local law to either make
the city's Queen Street pedestrian mall 100% smokefree or to limit
smoking to designated outdoor smoking areas. Strong public support,
including from shopkeepers, prompted the move - with smokers also
reportedly comfortable with it. See
Brisbane
Times report 15/7/10
Tobacco
goes out of sight in all general NSW shops - but not tobacconists July
2010:
All tobacco products must be out of sight in all NSW shops - but not approved specialist tobacconists,
who must comply with new display
limits. Tobacco vending machines in NSW are now limited to licensed
venues by token with proof of age. Breaches can be reported on
toll-free infoline 1800-357-412. See details at NSWhealth
and the regulations
with tobacconist provisions at pp. 19-20
Specialist
tobacconists can still display tobacco products until July 2013 - and
some of the displays are shockers. Look at this tobacconist in Coffs
Harbour NSW - its massive tobacco display (photographed 3/7/10) facing
straight onto a crowded shopping mall. Tobacco is still in children's
faces here, and very inconsistent with other retailers.
South
Australia will ban retail tobacco display by 2012
May 2010: South
Australia has announced it will end retail tobacco displays
(possibly excepting tobacconists) by
January 2012. All Australian jurisdictions have now committed
to this (except some have exemptions/delays for specialist
tobacconists). See SA
Health Minister's release 31/5/10
Tasmania
considers smokefree reforms May
2010: Tasmanian government
consultation out in August will propose: 100%
smokefree al fresco dining (currently 50%); smokefree pedestrian malls,
transport shelters, children's playgrounds and sports events,
outdoor sport stadium seating, public swimming pools, all indoor prison areas;
banning tobacco vending machines; ending tobacconist display exemptions; removing tobacco products from reward schemes;
banning tobacco sales at temporary music and youth events. See Tas
Health Minister's media release 31/5/10
NT
moves to end tobacco retail display and make dining areas smokefree
May 2010: Northern Territory Health Minister Kon Vatskalis has introduced
a bill to make all
public eating areas smokefree, end retail display of tobacco products and license tobacco
retailers by Jan 2011. NT is also
considering banning smoking at youth events and
in cars carrying children; and prohibiting under-18s selling
tobacco. See
the
bill at 2nd reading stage
Queensland to put tobacco out of sight
in shops
April 2010: The Queensland Government has committed to legislate to put
tobacco out of sight in both general retailers and tobacconists by
mid-2011. See Health
Minister's release 29/4/10 and Cancer
Council Qld media release 29/4/10
Call to protect pregnant women
from secondhand smoke after studies show foetal harm
Feb. 2010: Health and child welfare groups have stepped up the call for dining and
drinking areas and other workplaces to be made smokefree after a major international review of
76 studies on impact of passive smoking on pregnancy confirmed it causes lower
birthweight and increased birth abnormalities. See
ASH / Protecting
Children from tobacco media release 12/2/10 and review
abstract
Tobacco out of sight in ACT shops
Jan. 2010: Tobacco products have gone out of sight in
all retail outlets except tobacconists in the ACT. ACT laws
also ban tobacco vending machines, flavoured/scented cigarettes,
and tobacco in shopper reward schemes. ACT still considering protecting children from smoke in
cars - most submissions supportive.
See
ACT
Tobacco Act and Information
on the changes from 28/2/09 See Canberra
Times report 1/3/09 Minister's
earlier release on cars 2/2/09 ASH
submission Protecting
Children from Tobacco coalition submission
Victorian
children safe from smoke in cars
Jan. 2010: Cars carrying children under 18 must now be smokefree in Victoria -
as already in force in SA, Tasmania and NSW. The new law will also put all tobacco out of sight in
general shops from Jan 2011;
end cigarette sales from temporary outlets; and ban tobacco products targeting young people. See
the
bill at introduction See Victorian
government strategy
Queensland
protects children from smoke in cars
Jan. 2010: Cars carrying children under 16 are smokefree by law from Jan. 2010 - and the state government will support local councils
making shopping centres and bus stops smokefree. See
Brisbane
Times report 30/10/09
See Queensland
tobacco laws
ACT dining and drinking areas to be smokefree
2009: The ACT has passed laws making all public eating and drinking areas 100%
smokefree, enclosed or otherwise, by the end of 2010. Children's events also
to be smokefree. See ABC
News report 8/12/09 and
ACT
government media release 15/10/09
Study
of smoke harm for children shows urgency of smokefree public places
2009: Study showing secondhand smoke harm to toddlers' blood vessels shows need
for public places, especially outdoor dining, to be 100% smokefree. Protecting Children from Tobacco urges all jurisdictions to follow
Queensland example. See Protecting
Children from Tobacco media release 24/11/09
WA
tobacco act becomes law See
WA
bill and explanation under T: "Tobacco...2008"
2009:
Reform of Western Australia's tobacco laws will take effect Sept. 2010. Children, employees and public health
protected by ending
tobacco display in shops; smokefree cars carrying children, children's playgrounds,
patrolled beaches,
unlicensed al fresco dining areas and 50% of licensed.
Tobacco's
new discount and promotion push
2009: Tobacco companies push new discount offers and
induce
retailers to promote them. Health groups call for overdue tax increase and closing loopholes to stop the new
drive to hook 'em young. See
ASH media
release 4/7/09
Wagga
beats BAT to protect children, workers 2009:
Wagga City Council (NSW) applauded for pushing 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 to Councillors answering
misleading scare campaign by tobacco giant BAT. 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
Tobacco
industry's tricky fashion ploy
2008: Cigarettes sold in upmarket fashion and hair outlets in Imperial Tobacco campaign to lure young people into smoking.
Promotion later withdrawn after public protests. See SA
Sunday Mail 14/12/08
QANTAS stops pushing
tobacco
2008: After campaign by ASH and other concerned groups and
individuals, QANTAS stopped trial promotion of
duty-free cigarettes on in-flight trolleys in view of children. QANTAS
congratulated for its responsible decision. See
earlier ASH
media release
.... FROM OVERSEAS
Finland legislates to put
tobacco out of sight in shops
22/8/10: Finland has become the fourth country to ban tobacco product
displays in shops by national law. See
Medical
News Today report 22/8/10
Many smaller jurisdictions, e.g. in Australia and Canada, have also done
it - see STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
UK health experts propose
making cars and child-accessible public areas smokefree
March 2010: Private cars and outdoor places where children gather
should be smokefree by law, says Royal College of Physicians' report endorsed by UK Chief
Medical Officer and presented to government as it reviews tobacco laws. Secondhand
smoke a "major threat" to children's health and they should be fully protected from
it. See
UK
Telegraph report 24/3/10 See RCP
report 2010
Ireland puts tobacco out of
sight in shops
2009: Irish Republic puts tobacco out of sight in shops along with
other measures to protect children including: introduction
of a closed container / dispenser provision; tighter
controls on location and operation of vending machines;
and introduction
of a retail register.
Details
at ASH Ireland
BAT accused of targeting African children
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
UK doctors urge governments to protect
children
2008: British Medical Association urged UK governments to reduce promotion of tobacco to children in retail, films and
other entertainment; call for a total out-of-sight policy for
tobacco in shops
and proactive measures to counter positive smoking images. See
BMA
release 6/7/08 with link to full report
Scotland plans smokefree future including
protecting children
2008: Shop displays of cigarettes to end as part of Scottish Government's continuing drive to stop
smoking and tobacco promotion to children. See
Scottish
government plan
RESEARCH EVIDENCE for measures to
protect children from tobacco
Retail
tobacco display raises child smoking uptake risk
July 2010: A study of smoking behaviour over time in over 1600 children
aged 11-14 shows exposure to retail tobacco displays "is a risk
factor for smoking initiation", raising the risk by around 60%.
Authors of the study in Pediatrics support policies "that
limit adolescents' exposure to retail cigarette advertising."
See abstract
This confirms previous research:
Mothers'
secondhand exposure raises babies' lifelong cancer risk
July 2010: Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke give birth to babies
with increased lifelong cancer susceptibility, says study in Open
Paediatric Medicine. See
abstract
with full study link
Smokefree
laws can cut child smoke exposure by 40%
June 2010: Smokefree laws cut exposure
of children from smokefree homes by 40%, says Pediatrics
review of over 11,000 non-smoking children and youths 3-19yrs. Finds "smoke-free laws are an effective strategy for
reducing [exposure]..." See
abstract and
escience
news 6/6/10
Passive
smoking harm to children's health
May 2010: UK report in Practitioner
shows child smoke exposure causes around 300,000 GP consultations a year in the UK,
mostly for middle ear
disease and asthma; about 5,000 miscarriages, 300 perinatal deaths
and 2,200 premature births; more than doubles SIDS death risk. See report
UK health experts propose
making cars and child-accessible public areas smokefree
March 2010: Private cars and outdoor places where children gather
should be smokefree by law, says Royal College of Physicians' report to
UK government. Secondhand
smoke a "major threat" to children's health; they should be fully protected. See
UK
Telegraph report 24/3/10 See RCP
report 2010
Even low
smoke exposure may harden teen arteries
March 2010: Study of young
teenagers shows even low-level exposure to tobacco smoke may lead to
atherosclerosis (hardening arteries). Study of almost 500 13-year-olds in Circulation:
Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, called
for children to be protected from all exposure.
See abstract
Protection of pregnant women from secondhand smoke
call after studies show
foetal harm
Feb 2010: Health and child welfare groups step up call for smokefree dining/drinking areas after major international review of
76 studies on impact of passive smoking on pregnancy confirms it causes lower
birthweight and abnormalities. See
ASH / PCT media release 12/2/10 and
review
abstract
Study
confirms unsafe exposure in smoky alfrescoes
2009: A study of air quality in outdoor dining areas of 12 Perth
cafes and 16 pubs has confirmed smoke particles at average levels double
recommended exposure limits. The study, by health group ACOSH, found
exposure levels caused by just two people smoking are a health risk -
especially to children and people with heart or respiratory
conditions. See full
study
Babies'
exposure boosts adult emphysema risk
2009: Prenatal and postnatal exposure of babies to secondhand
smoke increases their risk of emphysema as adults, says a study of 1700
non-smokers in the American Journal of Epidemiology. See
study
abstract
Secondhand
exposure doubles children's lung cancer risk
2009: Secondhand
smoke exposure during childhood associated with a more than doubled
lung cancer risk among never smokers, says study in Cancer
Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. See
study
abstract
Secondhand
smoke doubles and worsens chronic rhinosinusitis
2009: Childhood or current exposure to secondhand smoke more
than doubles risk of chronic rhinosinusitis, suggests Johns Hopkins
University study in American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy. Severity
of the disease may also be worsened. See
study
abstract
Study of
smoke harm for children shows urgency of smokefree public places
2009: A study showing secondhand smoke harm to blood vessels of
toddlers shows why we need public places - especially outdoor dining areas
- 100% smokefree. See
Protecting
Children from Tobacco media release 24/11/09
Secondhand
smoke exposure increases preschoolers' behaviour problems
2009: Survey of parents of over 5000 pre-schoolers in Bavaria shows exposure to secondhand smoke at home
increases reported incidence of hyperactivity/inattentiveness
behaviour problems - more than doubling incidence in children most
exposed. Twardella
et al (2009) in Acta Paediatrica - see study
abstract
Next
steps in regulating tobacco retail: review
2009: Tobacco
retailing still largely unregulated, FCTC treaty only partly
addressing - contrasts with pharmaceuticals and
other restricted goods and services. International review asks why and
renews debate on retail outlet limits, price controls, purchase
caps and licensing restrictions.
See abstract
Children's
passive smoking may clog their arteries at an early age
2009: Not just older arteries are clogged
by secondhand smoke, says European Heart
Journal study - children can suffer this. Australian
health and child welfare groups call for all child-accessible areas to be smokefree. See
Protecting
Children from Tobacco release 24/7/09 with
link to study abstract
Watching
smoky movies can double teen uptake
2009: 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. 1,790 non-smoking
children aged 10-14, tracked for seven years. See
study
Retailer arguments defending
tobacco displays slammed by NZ report
2008: Research review blasts retailer arguments against out-of-sight policy as
“contradictory, flawed and unsupported by evidence.” The
same arguments have been 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
2008:
Smoking in cars a serious health risk
to occupants, especially children; ventilation doesn't stop it. After
just one cigarette smoked in 18 different
cars, worst examples smokier than indoor-smoking bars. See
Canada
TV report
See full
study
Tobacco displays
undermine quitting
2007: Australian study shows quit attempts undermined by
tobacco displays in shops. See
ASH /
Protecting Children for Tobacco media release 22/11/07

Aims
and endorsing organisations
RESOURCES
FACTSHEETS on
Protecting Children from Tobacco:
Brief 2-page
Summary
of the retail display issue
Why
tobacco displays should be banned
Top
ten myths against out of sight tobacco -
retailers 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
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
2008 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
STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
TOBACCO OUT OF SIGHT IN
SHOPS:
Australia
All Australian states and territories are now committed to ending
tobacco display in general retail outlets by January 2012. Some
jurisdictions have delays/exemptions for specialist retailers.
- ACT: IN FORCE all shops except tobacconists (end-2009); tobacconists by end-2010
- NSW: IN FORCE large shops (end-2009), smaller shops (July 2010); tobacconists by mid-2013
- WA: all outlets by Sept. 2010 (except one tobacconist, no tobacco
visible outside shop)
- NT: all outlets by Jan. 2011 (legislation introduced)
- Queensland: all outlets by mid-2011 (awaiting legislation)
- Victoria: all outlets by Jan. 2011 except
tobacconists and airport duty-frees (no deadline for these)
- Tasmania: all outlets by Feb. 2011
except small number of tobacconists (no deadline for these)
- SA: all outlets (possibly exempting tobacconists) by January 2012 (awaiting legislation)
Worldwide trend see
roundup
from Smokefree Action (UK) and Finland
report in Medical News Today 22/8/10
4 countries (Iceland,
Thailand, Ireland, Finland), 12 (out of 13) Canadian provinces and
territories, and the British Virgin Islands have adopted laws to
prohibit the visible display of tobacco products at point of sale.
Iceland was the first, in 2001. The Canadian province of Saskatchewan
followed suit in 2002, Thailand in 2005, Ireland in 2009, Finland 2010 -
see report. New Zealand
first rejected it but is now (2010) reconsidering.
LICENSING:
SA, WA, Tas and ACT require tobacco sellers to be licensed. NSW has passed a limited "negative" licensing scheme.
CARS CARRYING CHILDREN SMOKEFREE:
- In force in SA, Tasmania, NSW and Victoria
- WA and Queensland have legislated to take effect by 2011
- ACT has introduced legislation .... leaving only the NT yet to act -
it is at last considering
At least three countries and many US and Canadian jurisdictions have also
enacted it.
See latest World
roundup
SMOKEFREE CHILD-ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC PLACES AND EVENTS:
See
ASH smokefree
public places webpage
Queensland, by statewide law, has smokefree outdoor dining areas, children's
playgrounds, beaches and some other areas. WA has passed legislation to
cover most outdoor dining areas, as well as playgrounds and patrolled beaches. ACT
has moved to make all public eating and drinking areas smokefree by Dec 2010, and will also
protect all underage
events from smoke, as NSW has done. Tasmania has covered at least 50% of each venue's outdoor dining areas;
and ACT and
Victoria its schoolgrounds. Other public places have been protected from
smoke 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 youth-targeted products;
all states and territories agreed to prohibit the sale of fruit- and confectionery-flavoured
cigarettes by end-2009.
CHILDREN SELLING TOBACCO:
Unlike alcohol, there has been little or no movement to prohibit under-18 staff
from selling tobacco products - only Tasmania (2010) now proposing
this. Some major supermarkets have
policies to this effect. Smaller retailers have argued that the impact
on small family businesses would be too great.
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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