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The Issue


The Cancer Society of New Zealand together with supporting organisations, are calling for a total ban on the display of cigarettes and other tobacco products in petrol stations, shops and other retail outlets where cigarettes are sold.

Surveys show that there is extremely strong levels of support for a ban on tobacco displays amongst New Zealanders. Over two-thirds of non-smokers (68%) support a ban on tobacco displays. (1) In addition smokers are well and truly behind a ban on tobacco displays. The majority (60%) of NZ smokers support a ban on tobacco displays. (7)

Cigarette displays =active marketing

  • Cigarette displays in retail outlets are a highly effective marketing tool. They create product awareness, reinforce brand imagery, provide subliminal enticement and encourage sales.
  • The 1990 Smoke-free Environments Act says tobacco advertising is pretty much anything used ‘to encourage the use, notify the availability or promote the sale of any tobacco product or to promote smoking …” Cigarette displays do exactly that. (2)
  • Studies in the 1990s found retail displays of cigarettes increase average tobacco sales by 12% to 28%. They are a causative factor in smoking uptake. (3)

Cigarette displays affect children and people trying to quit

  • Cigarette displays are a particular issue for children. Research shows displays ‘normalise’ cigarettes for children and trigger impulse purchases by what the tobacco industry calls ‘learner smokers’ – our children! (2,3)
  • Cigarette displays also particularly affect people trying to quit smoking. They trigger impulse purchasing in those who are struggling with nicotine withdrawal. (3)

Smoking kills. Ban cigarette retail displays

  • The WHO says “Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world”. Cigarettes are highly addictive and highly carcinogenic.
  • Tobacco industry documents from the 1960s show tobacco companies knew then that nicotine addiction is the main reason people continue smoking. A lawyer for Brown & Williamson said: “Nicotine is addictive. We are, then, in the business of selling nicotine, an addictive drug.” (4)
  • Publicly, however, tobacco companies denied nicotine is addictive. Such an admission would undermine their stance that smoking is a matter of personal choice.

Cigarette displays are a highly effective marketing device

  • Whilst the sale of other dangerous products such as guns, pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals are highly regulated, cigarettes remain easily accessible and are openly advertised to the public, including children, through retail displays.
  • The addictive nature and heavy death toll of tobacco requires government to take a more serious approach to regulating tobacco than currently exists.
  • Current regulations are overly complicated, contrary to the intent of the legislation and badly implemented (eg. it is conservatively estimated that 61% of retail outlets are in breach of existing display regulations). (5)
  • A partial ban such as restricting the amount of promotion won’t work. A complete ban is needed.

The Tobacco Industry in their own words

"New government restrictions are rapidly increasing the importance of retail marketing as a part of the overall marketing mix." - Philip Morris (6)
 
"Retail marketing is therefore no longer the support mechanism, [but] the primary communication vehicle." - Philip Morris (6)

Marketing expert Richard Pollay

"POP advertising exposes and potentially affects everyone: the young who grow up seeing tobacco as a benign cultural commonplace in the market on a par with milk and bread and come to underestimate its risks; the adult smoker who is reminded and cued to smoke now and more often; the occasional smoker who is cued to consume more; the would-be quitter whose intentions to quit are undermined; and the ex-smoker tempted to relapse and resume smoking." - Richard Pollay

References

1. Cancer Society of New Zealand, 'Banning Cigarette Displays in Retail Outlets', Omnibus Results, March-May 2008, UMR Research.

2. DiFranza, JR, Wellman, RJ, et al (2006) Tobacco promotion and the initiation of tobacco use: Assessing the evidence for causality. Pediatrics 17; 1237-1248.

3. Feighery, EC, Ribisl, KM et al (2001) Cigarette advertising and promotional strategies in retail outlets: Results of a statewide survey in California. Tobacco Control 10: 184-188.

4. Yeaman, A. Brown & Williamson memo 1802.05, 17/7/63.

5. Anand, S. et al (2006) Cigarettes and candy: A study of retailer compliance with the point of sale tobacco display regulations in the 2003 Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act. Department of Health, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wellington, New Zealand.

6. Philip Morris. [Presentation notes—slides 1–73 Australian retail market: notes for a NY Marketing Meeting]. 1992. Philip Morris. Bates No. 2504107172A/7192.

7. George Thomson et al, 'Smokers want government action', ITC survey, March 2009.