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“
More
than 60 Tasmanian and national organisations[1]
have urged MPs to set an early deadline for putting tobacco
advertising displays totally out of sight to protect children. The
organisations, supporters of the Protecting Children from Tobacco
campaign, have called on members of the Tasmanian Parliament to remove
tobacco packet displays completely from public view as soon as
possible, as they are a form of advertising and have been shown to
normalise tobacco to children and encourage them to smoke. Supporters
of an out-of-sight policy include major churches and church agencies,
child welfare, health, medical, research and community organisations.
They have urged the government to resist misleading retailer arguments
for retaining one square metre of tobacco display. Says
Dr Harley Stanton, a Tasmanian recently elected as President of the
Asia-Pacific Association for the Control of Tobacco: “Allowing a
square metre of tobacco display would leave this deadly and addictive
product in the faces of children - in thousands of supermarkets,
convenience stores, newsagents, petrol stations, tobacconists and
other shops. “Research
shows retail displays normalise tobacco to children and predispose
them towards smoking.[2]
If every child smoker is one too many, then every square metre
of tobacco display is a square metre too much. “The
tobacco industry tries to pretend these displays are not there to
encourage smoking. But their own documents show their displays aim to
‘stimulate trial purchase and re-purchase’. [3]
“With
this in mind, we urge all parties to resist the misleading arguments
of retailers [6],”
says Dr Stanton, “and act firmly to protect Tasmanian children from
being targeted and recruited into a drug habit that can wreck their
health and cause their disability or early death.”
Protecting Children from
Tobacco www.ashaust.org.au/lv3/action_POS.htm
More info: m. 0412-070-194 [1] Full list of supporting organisations at www.ashaust.org.au/lv4/TasSolutionsSupporters.doc [2] Analysis and evidence at www.ashaust.org.au/lv4/POSdisplay.doc [3] British American Tobacco document, p. 11 at www.library.ucsf.edu/tobacco/batco/html/14100/14109 [4] Pics of tobacco display at www.ashaust.org.au/lv4/TasChildrenSights.doc More photos: see campaign below [5] National Drug Strategy household survey 2001-04, Table 1 [6]
See truth about retailer claims at
www.ashaust.org.au/lv4/POSretailclaims.doc
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Page last updated 31/10/07 |
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