Get tobacco out of our face

A survey of Hawkes Bay teenagers shows overwhelming support for a ban on tobacco displays in shops.

Cancer Society Smokefree youth ambassador Sarah Pulford, who conducted the survey, says three quarters of 14 and 15-year-old Hawkes Bay teenagers surveyed said that they supported getting tobacco out of sight in shops.

“The results are exciting. They show that young people are even more supportive of getting tobacco out of sight in shops than adults,” said Ms Pulford.

Two thirds of NZ adults support a ban on tobacco displays.

Ms Pulford says youth support for a ban on tobacco displays is important because “we are the main target of tobacco displays.”

“Even though young people are the target of the advertising, and this survey shows that we support a ban on tobacco displays, we can’t vote and we can’t make laws. Adults have to do that for us, so we hope they listen!”

National research shows the more often young people go to shops displaying and selling tobacco the more likely they are to smoke. Young people are three times more sensitive to tobacco advertising than adults and tobacco displays are no exception.

Ms Pulford said she was motivated to do the survey by local MP Craig Foss who said he wanted to know what local teenagers thought of the campaign to get tobacco out of sight.

“I’ve given him a copy of the results and I’ll be asking him to consider putting forward a private members bill banning tobacco displays,” she said.

“A Rotorua MP championed the law that made restaurants and bars smokefree, so it would be awesome if a Hawkes Bay MP could champion getting rid of retail displays.”

The new government has to respond by the end of February to a Health Select Committee report recommending banning tobacco displays in shops.

Ms Pulford says she’ll be watching what they say closely.