More evidence - tobacco displays increase the risk of teens smoking..

July 4, 2008 - New research from New Zealand confirms international evidence that tobacco displays encourage children to start smoking.

Dr Janine Paynter, told the Public Health Association conference that the Action on Smoking and Health survey of 14 and 15 year olds found a clear link between the number of times children visited dairies, supermarket or service stations and the likelihood they are susceptible to smoking or had experimented with smoking.

It was recommended that tobacco displays be removed from retail outlets. Dr. Paynter: "It is not going to stop all teens smoking but we believe it will stop a proportion of them doing so. Anything that can be done to protect children from an addictive and deadly habit like smoking is worthwhile. It is important that teens get the message that tobacco products are not everyday, normal products like the bread and milk alongside which they are sold."

Mike Szymanczyk now the CEO of Altria, Inc. states that Philip Morris owes their success to the ability to connect with adult tobacco consumers through the in-store experience and the development of one-to-one relationships using their database of 25 million adult cigarette smokers (Remarks, Investor Presentation, 3/11/2008).

Reference: Tobacco displays increase risk of teens smoking,Press Release: Public Health Association, Scoop - Independent News, 7/3/2008.

In neighboring Australia, the State of New South Wales has recently approved a series of tobacco control measures; one of these is the elimination of tobacco displays.

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