Retail Display Ban Rejected by Danish Government

Retail Display Ban Rejected by Danish Government

The New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores (NZACS) today welcomed the decision by the Swedish Parliament to reject a proposal to ban tobacco product display at point of sale.

“Retailers throughout New Zealand are now asking why the Ministry of Health is continuing to push ahead with proposals to ban retail displays of tobacco products when even their overseas counterparts are rejecting this over-zealous idea,” said NZACS Chairman Roger Bull.

“In the first reading of the resolution, the Swedish Parliament rejected the notion citing a lack of evidence, unreasonable extra costs to trade and the risk of increasing illicit trade – the same arguments NZACS and others have presented to the NZ Ministry of Health,” said Mr Bull.

“We believe the Danish Government has taken the right step with its tobacco control laws in seeking to improve the enforcement of the minimum age requirements on the sale and purchase of tobacco products,” Mr Bull said.

NZACS has recently submitted its views to the Ministry of Health’s ‘Proposal to Ban Tobacco Retail Displays in New Zealand’ calling for a more constructive approach to tobacco control laws, including greater enforcement and retailer education.

“The decision of the Danish Government to reject a retail display ban of tobacco products, in favour of greater enforcement of minimum age requirements alongside greater responsibilities for retailers, clearly shows that the National government was leading the world when it rejected the proposal in 2009.”

“NZACS believes the approach taken by the Danish Government could easily be replicated here and calls on the Government to again reject the proposal for a costly, unproven and unnecessary retail display ban,” said Mr Bull.

ENDS

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