ASH Australia media release                                       February 24, 2007

Church leaders ask Premier to put tobacco displays out of sight

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Tasmania’s church leaders have joined a huge coalition of health and child welfare organisations calling on the Lennon Government to protect children by putting tobacco products out of sight in shops. 

Churches backing the move are Baptist Union, Catholic, Friends (Quaker), Lutheran and Uniting Churches of Tasmania; the Tasmanian Council of Churches; the Church of Christ Hobart; and nationally, the Public Affairs Commission of the Anglican Church.

The churches and their allies have urged the government to resist tobacco retailer arguments for keeping one square metre of tobacco display, saying this would leave tobacco in the faces of children in thousands of supermarkets, newsagents, petrol stations, food stores and other shops.

The organisations point to independent research showing retail displays normalise tobacco to children and predispose them towards smoking.

Says Dr Harley Stanton, Tasmanian spokesperson for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia, former WHO health expert and President-elect of the Asia-Pacific Association for the Control of Tobacco:  “Civilised societies take action to protect the most vulnerable, in this case it's our children – especially where the measure is so clearly supported by evidence.

“Tobacco retailers have made many misleading claims both here in Tasmania and nationally about the impact of such measures – including claims that display is not advertising and doesn’t encourage smoking.

“These claims are contradicted by the research and by the assessment of advertising experts. Quite simply, tobacco displays promote smoking to all who see them – especially children, who have long been targeted by the tobacco industry for recruitment and addiction. Tobacco will continue to be sold, but not displayed.”

12% of Tasmanian schoolchildren smoke regularly, and 14% of these are getting their cigarettes illegally from shops – including takeaway food shops, supermarkets, newsagents, petrol stations and many more.

“We believe the Tasmanian Government will show firm leadership,” says Dr Stanton, “by putting the health of our children first and protecting them from this known harm by implementing in full the proposed recommendations.  The long-term health of our children must take priority over those who market and sell cigarettes."

The organisations also support other measures to protect children, including banning child staff selling tobacco, and making cars carrying children smokefree.

See evidence at  www.ashaust.org.au/lv3/action_POS.htm

Comment:               Dr Harley Stanton                   m.  0418-344-703

Media info:             Stafford Sanders            ph. (02) 9334-1823;  m. 0412-070-194

Page last updated 26/2/07