Health Committee Report increases risk for retailers

Monday, 29 September 2008, 4.00pm
Press Release: New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores

The New Zealand Association of Convenience Stores (NZACS) is concerned the Health Select Committee’s report increases security risks for retailers as well as effectively handing individual retailers a bill for at least $6000.

NZACS is commenting on the release of the Health Select Committee’s Report into the Petition of Dalton Leo Kelly of the Cancer Society and Craig Foss MP, where the majority of the committee recommended the Government introduce legislation requiring tobacco displays in retail outlets to be put out of sight.

“Controversial proposals to place tobacco under the counter place New Zealand retailers at risk of increased shop lifting as well as increasing security risks when bending down to get a packet of cigarettes,” said David Killeen, Executive Director of NZACS.

“The 10,000 retailers across New Zealand who sell tobacco products should be alarmed that some committee members’ answer to a retailer’s risk of serious robbery is to ‘ensure that the interiors of their shops are visible from the street to improve their safety’,” said Mr Killeen.

“The committee is obviously divided in terms of those wanting to bring in further costly restrictions for retailers, and MPs who believe the evidence is limited and the issue warrants further investigation,” Mr Killeen said.

NZACS believes the Government’s tobacco control efforts are working, evidently by the continued drop in New Zealand smoking rates from 23.4 per cent in 2002/03 to 18.87 per cent in 2006/07.

“Placing untested restrictions on retailers that increases risk for their safety is not on and unfair to the retailers who make a living from selling a legal product,” said Mr Killeen.

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