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“
All
governments in the Oceania region have been urged to stand up to the
tobacco industry and protect children by totally banning the display
of tobacco products in retail outlets. The
call came in a presentation by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
Australia at the Smokefree Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in
Auckland – coinciding with Australia’s Child Protection Week. ASH
has co-ordinated a campaign called “Protecting Children from
Tobacco”, endorsed by more than 30 national child welfare, health,
education, church, social equity, community
and research organisations. * Child
protection measures proposed by the organisations include: · removing tobacco products from view in all retail outlets; · banning child staff from selling tobacco; · implementing a comprehensive licensing scheme for tobacco sellers; and · making cars carrying children smokefree. Presenting
the paper, campaign co-ordinator Stafford Sanders said:
“Australian and other regional governments have a historic
opportunity to take action to protect children from lethal and
addictive tobacco products. “While
the tobacco industry continues its deceptive rhetoric of ‘adult
lifestyle choices’, the hard reality is that children are the prime
targets for their deadly and addictive products. Nine out of ten
Australian smokers start their habit as children – and the tobacco
industry knows it. “Tobacco
retailers have been active behind the scenes, trying to mislead
governments with false claims that retail display doesn’t encourage
smoking, is not really advertising and is essential for brand choice. “The
independent evidence directly contradicts these claims. It shows that
retail display of tobacco normalises it to children and predisposes
them towards smoking. Display does little to assist brand choice and
much to increase tobacco sales – resulting in more deaths, disease
and health costs to communities. “Retailers
have lobbied for the retention of reduced but still significant
tobacco display areas; but if every child smoker is one too many, then
every square metre of cigarette display is a square metre too much. “Putting
tobacco out of sight – as we do with thousands of pharmaceuticals
– would not interfere with freedom to purchase. “The
community solidly supports stronger protection for children. They
don’t believe revenue arguments should outweigh child protection.” Australia’s
National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
(NAPCAN) is one of the organisations endorsing the Protecting
Children from Tobacco campaign. *
See full list of endorsing organisations at
www.ashaust.org.au/lv4/ProtectChildrenEndorsements.htm
Comment: Anne Jones, CEO, ASH Australia m. 0417-227-879 Media
info: Stafford
Sanders, ASH Australia
ph. (02) 9334-1823; m.
0412-070-194
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Page last updated 11/9/07 |
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