Holyrood health committee backs ban on cigarette displays in shops

Government also urged to make it illegal for adults to buy tobacco for youngsters

By Tim Pauling

Published:

Corner shops were dealt a devastating blow today when an influential Holyrood committee backed a proposed ban on tobacco displays.

MSPs have concluded that the display of cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products by shop cash registers is the same as advertising.

In a report out today, the Scottish Parliament’s health and sport committee says a ban on displays would help the fight against the physical harm done by smoking.

Its inquiry into the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill also backs banning cigarette vending machines.

In addition, the committee has called for the purchase of tobacco on behalf of anyone under the legal age of 18 to be made a criminal offence.

Shopkeepers have been up in arms over the government’s proposals to put a stop to point-of-sale displays.

Retailers says many could be put out of business because tobacco represents around a third of turnover for newsagents and the average small shop.

They claim the move will cost thousands of pounds for changes to shops and drive customers away to supermarkets or the black market.

But most committee members did not believe that measures would be disproportionate to the costs associated with the change.

Convener Christine Grahame said: “The majority of our committee believes that cigarettes at the point of sale represent an advertisement, and a ban on displays would have a particularly positive effect in deterring teenagers.

“Most members also believe that cigarette vending machines should be banned, bringing them into line with other age-restricted products like alcohol.”

Ms Graham added: “Everyone agreed that deterrents to stop young people smoking are necessary and this is why we are calling for the bill to be amended to criminalise the act of buying cigarettes on behalf of the under-18s.”

The committee expressed support for a national register of tobacco retailers and police powers to confiscate tobacco from the under-18s.

Public Health Minister Shona Robison said: “Too many families have watched loved ones suffer and die prematurely as a result of smoking-related illnesses. The cost of smoking is high – both in terms of premature deaths and the £400million cost to the NHS annually.

“That’s why we are taking radical steps to ban both tobacco displays in shops and cigarette vending machines. These measures will help to reduce the attractiveness and availability of cigarettes of children, stopping them becoming the smokers of tomorrow.

“We are committed to cutting the number of smokers in Scotland. Stopping people from starting to smoke in the first place is a priority for us and this legislation will help to do just that.”

The second part of the bill proposes excluding private firms and certain other parties from running GP clinics on behalf of health boards.

While most members supported this part of the bill, some felt it should be amended to allow a community co-operative to hold a contract.

There was unanimous support for the Royal College of Nurses position that the legislation should be changed to allow general medical contracts to be held by nurses and GPs.

But Labour committee member Dr Richard Simpson said the primary medical services part of the bill discriminated against rural communities and Labour would not support it in its current form. “The reality is that not a single practice in Scotland, out of over 1,000, is currently run by a commercial company.”

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “The proposals do not specifically exclude individuals or organisations from holding a GP contract but make provisions to ensure anyone holding such a contract has a direct involvement in patient care.

“It will not be possible under the bill’s provisions for a profit-motivated company with no medical links to hold such a contract.”