The Scottish Government has banned cigarette and tobacco products from being on display in large retailers throughout the country under the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010.
Smoking is associated with 13,000 deaths a year in Scotland
The act, which came into force earlier this week, also bans cigarette products from being sold in vending machines, which are usually found in pubs and clubs.
The move is hoped to discourage young people from starting the habit as if you were in a queue buying say for instance a lottery ticket, all the varieties of cigarettes were literally in your face behind the counter. But now you will only see them in small retailers, but their days are numbered as they have until April 2015 to remove tobacco displays.
Speaking of the ban and the need to deter young people, Michael Matheson, the Public Health Minister said: “These bans are the right step to prevent young people in Scotland from taking up smoking.
“It is well known that smoking is associated with a range of illnesses and is the primary preventable cause of ill health and premature death. Each year, tobacco use is associated with over 13,000 deaths and 56,000 hospital admissions in Scotland.
“That is why it is so important that this government works to improve health by reducing the number of people who choose to smoke and evidence shows that young people exposed to the promotion of tobacco are more likely to try smoking.”
The ban comes after England, Wales and Northern Ireland introduced a ban on retailers with premises larger than 280 sq. m. from displaying tobacco products in their shops.
Are you a smoker? Will not seeing tobacco products on display help you kick the habit or do you think it is more likely to work with people who haven’t tried smoking yet?
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