Point of Sale Display
As of the 6th April 2012 it will be illegal for supermarkets and other large shops to display tobacco products in England. This legislation will affect small businesses from 6th April 2015.
Where appropriate, age checks must be carried out before any tobacco product is shown to a customer who asks to either buy or for information about a tobacco product.
Price Lists
From these dates, the display of prices will also look different because they will have to be in a plain format with no tobacco branding.
Exemptions from the new law
The new Point of Sale Display law does not apply to wholesale businesses within the tobacco trade in which:
- Premises are accessible only to people engaged in, or employed by, a business which is part of the tobacco trade.
- From which tobacco products and the prices of tobacco products are not visible to the public outside the premises.
Why this law is being Introduced
Over 80,000 people die from smoking related illnesses in England every year and more people die from smoking than any other preventable cause. Each year in England alone around 320,000 children under 16 first try smoking.
The displays of tobacco in shops can encourage children and young people to try smoking. They can also tempt adults who are trying to quit to buy more cigarettes. Removing tobacco displays is one initiative among many to help to reduce smoking uptake by young people and to support adult smokers who want to quit. The
Government’s plans are set out in Healthy Lives, Healthy People: ATobacco Control Plan for England. For
more information visit the Department of Health website www.dh.gov.uk.
Where can I find out more information about the new law?
Full guidance about ending tobacco displays is available at www.businesslink.gov.uk
