THE reins have been tightened on tobacco advertising in Victoria at the shop counter with a ban on posters and other point-of-sale material within the retail environment and limits on the display of tobacco products.
The restrictions are part of sweeping tobacco reforms, aimed at addressing the issue of active and passive smoking and lowering smoking levels in all age groups.
State health minister John Thwaites said research showed tobacco advertising had a significant influence on young people’s decision to light up.
“Recent research shows that the most popular brand of cigarettes among young Victorians aged between 12 and 17 years was the brand most heavily advertised at shops that sell tobacco,” he said.
“The tobacco advertising restrictions will reduce the visual impact of tobacco advertising and tobacco displays and help address the problem of teenage smoking in Victoria.”
The new laws prohibit the display of tobacco advertising within or outside a retail outlet, except through limited displays of tobacco products.
The ban applies to point-of-sale material including posters, flags and stickers and also advertising on vending machines and backlit tobacco advertising signs.
In addition, retailers must stick to displaying only one of each product line and can not display different sizes of the same packs. Restrictions also apply to the size of the display area and pricing.
Meanwhile, Quit Victoria experienced a record 28,000 calls to the Quitline last year, with calls up by 25% compared with 2000.
Quit Victoria executive director Todd Harper attributed the result, in part, to a hard-hitting campaign launched mid-2000 which targeted parents.
“We know most smokers want to quit and advertising is a very effective way of encouraging smokers to take the steps to do that,” he said.
Tobacco reform timetable
1 July 2001: Non-tobacco products may not be packaged with tobacco products. A health warning or quit smoking sign is required to be displayed within each tobacco retail outlet.
1 October 2001: “No tobacco sales to under 18s” signs required within tobacco retail outlets.Signs advertising the sale of discount cigarettes outside tobacco retail outlets must be removed.
1 January 2002: Restrictions on point-of-sale advertising and displays within tobacco retail outlets.
