26/04/2010 - Tobacco display ban consultation
Shopkeepers in Scotland will have their say about the ban on tobacco displays in their shops during a consultation launched on Monday.
Retailers will be given a chance to discuss how the ban, which was approved by the Scottish Parliament three months ago, will be undertaken in their stores during the three-month consultation.
The ban on tobacco displays aims to prevent children from taking up the habit and reduce the number of deaths from lung cancer.
The law bans cigarette vending sales and is also proposing to make tobacco products in stores less prominent so that customers can only see one packet of cigarettes or one pouch of tobacco at a time.
It means retailers will be obliged to conceal their tobacco display, so that rows of cigarette packets are not visible when the shopkeeper reaches for a product. Other proposals include a £200 fine for anyone caught buying or selling tobacco to under-18s.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison urged shopkeepers to give their opinion on how the display ban will work in stores.
She said: "I know some retailers had concerns about proposals to ban cigarette displays but the display ban is now law, and I would urge retailers to use this consultation as an opportunity to shape the future of tobacco retailing in Scotland."
The Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill bans shops from displaying cigarettes and other tobacco products, bans cigarette vending machines and introduces a registration system for tobacco retailers.
The display ban comes into force next year for large retailers and in 2013 for small shops. Specialist tobacconists are exempt from the ban. Tobacco displays will be permitted in cash and carry and duty-free stores if they`re confined to a secluded area.
The consultation begins on Tuesday and runs until the end of July.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
Related links
|
