Cigarette display ban and vending machine curbs considered
Monday, 24 Mar 2008 19:52
Under new plans, shopkeepers will not be able to display cigarettes publicly
The government is considering banning the public display of cigarettes in shops and tighter controls on the availability of vending machines.
The Department of Health's proposal which aims to discourage unhealthy behaviour will be put to a public consultation next spring.
A ban on smoking is already in place in public places but under the new plans shopkeepers may be forced to sell cigarettes under the counter.
Speaking about the reasons for the ban, public health minister Dawn Primarolo said the move was necessary to protect people's health.
"Children who smoke are putting their lives at risk and are more likely to die of cancer than people who start smoking later.
"It's vital we get across the message to children that smoking is bad. If that means stripping out vending machines or removing cigarettes from behind the counter, I'm willing to do that," the minister added.
The government also cites research saying that someone who starts smoking at the age of 15 is three times more likely to die of cancer than a person who took up the habit in their twenties.
Measures to tackle binge drinking have also been unveiled with the planned launch of a media campaign as well as tax increases in the latest budget.
In his first budget, the chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darling announced new taxes adding 11p to the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes and 4p to the price of five cigars.
Similarly duties on alcoholic products were also raised with the tax on a pint of beer being raised by 4p, cider by 3p a pint, wine by 14p a bottle and spirits by 55p a bottle. The levies on alcohol will continue to rise by two percentage points above inflation for each of the following four years.