NFRN Implores Labour MPs to Obtain True Facts Surrounding the Proposed Tobacco Display Ban

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) is urging all Labour MPs to be fully aware of the facts surrounding underage smoking, tobacco displays and international case studies in advance of the Report and Third reading of the Public Health Bill (specifically clause 21) on Monday afternoon (October 12).

“Independent retail newsagents operate at the very centre of our communities. They are the heartbeat of their customers and network tirelessly with constituents. To date, they have been completely ignored by this Labour Government in this Public Health Bill and they fear for their future livelihoods.”

The call comes as the Department of Health is poised to make one last attempt, on Monday morning, to convince MPs that a display ban will effectively reduce the levels of underage smoking. The NFRN expects the DoH to use a number of statements to achieve its aim. These may include suggestions that tobacco manufacturers design and price packs of cigarettes to attract children and that retailers are being convinced by the tobacco companies and, instead, should be recruited by Government to manage tobacco decline. However, the NFRN does not expect any evidence to prove that the removal of tobacco displays from shops will have any effect on whether children smoke or not.

National President Suleman Khonat said: “There are many international cases to show removal has no effect, but these facts will be nowhere to be seen next Monday morning. Clause 21 of the Public Health Bill is - quite simply – bad policy and, worse still, could even have an adverse effect on the trends of the past few decades.”

The NFRN has raised its concerns at all three Party Conferences and also in a full page advertisement in today’s (October 9) issue of The Times.

It has pointed out how the Government itself – through its National Health Service – has undertaken comprehensive annual surveys since 1982 on the levels of underage smoking in England. These surveys have found that the smoking habits of 11 to 15 year olds are influenced by their families, with those who live with other smokers being more than twice as likely to smoke compared with those living in non smoking households. A fifth (21%) of pupils who live with three or more other smokers at home are regular smokers themselves, compared with 3% who live in a non smoking household. Over the 27 years of the survey, smoking levels today amongst pupils are at their lowest – 6% - with a drop of one third between 2007 and the 2008 survey aided by the change in the legal smoking age from 16 to 18.

The surveys also acknowledge that shopkeepers who sell cigarettes are increasingly more aware, better trained and compliant in ensuring that tobacco products are not sold to under 18 year olds and states that this figure will continue to decline into the future.

Mr Khonat said: “Independent newsagents truly support the Department of Health’s efforts in reducing smoking overall and are very clear on the priority actions that Government should be taking to achieve this.”

He added: “Proxy purchasing of cigarettes by adults for children is the main way children get hold of cigarettes but, incredibly, is not illegal. Newsagents find this extremely frustrating. This, together with children attempting to purchase cigarettes in shops and the purchase of illicit smuggled tobacco products must become illegal actions. Simultaneously there needs to be a greater effort in stopping the entry of smuggled tobacco across our borders with maximum repercussions for those who break the law – children, adults, retailers and smugglers. Nobody wants our children to start smoking unless you are a smuggler, counterfeiter or illicit street corner salesman.”

The NFRN has discovered that today around 20% - one in five – of consumed tobacco products in the UK are contraband. Increasing quantities of counterfeit products are being identified by Customs. In Ireland where the display ban came into force on July 1 this year, illicit tobacco products represent 30% – nearly one in three packets consumed - and the highest in the EU. This figure has effectively doubled in just the last two years. With domestic tobacco sales operating in a global marketplace, the NFRN believes it is vitally important that Governments make decisions with this at the forefront of their thinking. The criminal underworld will be watching tobacco policy very closely here in the UK. Illicit tobacco products are at least half the price of fully taxed domestic products and are especially targeted at children through street sellers and `cheap houses`. Moreover, counterfeit imports are especially poisonous and contain high levels of arsenic, metal cadmium, lead and plastic.

Mr Khonat continued: “The illegal cigarette trade helps fund the serious organised crime and drugs trade. NFRN members in Ireland are increasingly being approached to stock illicit cigarettes and my fear is that these approaches will increase and become more menacing and protection racketeering could well take over. It’s just a matter of time before more newsagents will be forced to close down.”

He continued: “Independent retail newsagents operate at the very centre of our communities. They are the heartbeat of their customers and network tirelessly with constituents. To date, they have been completely ignored by this Labour Government in this Public Health Bill and they fear for their future livelihoods.

“Underage smoking must be stopped but the strategy to achieve this should not be constructed on emotion, but must be well thought through, taking in evidence from across the world. Clause 21 and the proposed banning of tobacco displays in shops is bad policy. There will be an opportunity to vote on an amendment to it and Labour MPs are urged to listen to the facts. Independent newsagents will not forget Monday October 12^th 2009.”

--ENDS-

Note to Editors

NFRN members will be gathering on College Green, opposite the House of Commons on Monday to rally against clause 21.