New Zealand Study Finds Tobacco Display Bans Protect Young People

Read: New Zealand study shows tobacco display bans protect youth and quitters. The study, led by Lindsay & middot; Robertson of the University of Otago Cancer Society's Division of Social and Behavioral Research, reviewed all studies investigating the relationship between tobacco promotions in retail stores and smoking since 2008.

Chinese e-cigarette news: Ending the display and promotion of cigarettes and tobacco products in retail stores can help prevent teens from starting to smoke and keep quitters quit, according to a new study from the University of Otago in New Zealand.

The study, led by Lindsay & middot; Robertson of the University of Otago Cancer Society's Division of Social and Behavioral Research, reviewed all the studies that have investigated the relationship between tobacco promotion and smoking in retail stores since 2008.

Of the 20 studies reviewed by Ms. Robertson and colleagues, nine looked specifically at children and adolescents, and each found that the more frequently young people saw tobacco displays and promotions in stores, the more likely they were to smoke.

“There is evidence that if tobacco products are no longer displayed openly in stores, young people will change the way they view smoking and they will see it as less common. The finding is important because we know that the less often smoking is seen, the less likely young people are to smoke,” Ms. Robertson said.

For adult smokers, exposure to displays of tobacco products in stores increases their risk of buying tobacco products and the urge to smoke. When smokers enter a store, smokers are more likely to continue trying to quit if they are not tempted by tobacco product displays, she said.

New Zealand enacted legislation in July 2012 to ban the display of tobacco products in stores and other outlets such as pubs. Ms. Robertson concluded: “Other countries that want to reduce the prevalence of smoking should also consider banning the display of tobacco products at the point of sale. ”

A Systematic Review of the Impact of Point-of-Sale Tobacco Promotions on Smoking by Miss Robertson, Prof. Rob & middot; McKee, Dr. Louise & middot; Marsh and Prof. Janet & middot; Hawke of the University of Otago, published online in Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

The study was funded by the New Zealand Lottery Health Study, the Asthma Foundation of New Zealand and the New Zealand Cancer Society.