Press Release from Stay Displays Coalition

No Need To Change Decision Over Displays, Say Retailers

Family-owned community retailers around New Zealand are concerned over recent comments that the Maori Party is pushing the Government to reverse its decision on retail displays of tobacco products.

The Stay Displays Coalition of independent retailers fought proposals that sought a country-wide ban because of the lack of evidence that displays encouraged people to take up smoking. More than 200 retailers signed up to the Stay Displays website and more than 7000 individuals signed a petition against a ban.

Stay Displays representative Richard Green from Palmerston North said the National Government declined in March to impose a ban because there was no evidence to support the claims made by the anti-tobacco lobbyists.

“The Ministry of Health, taxpayer funded anti-tobacco lobbyists don’t accept the decision made by the Government. There is no evidence – overwhelming or otherwise – that displays of tobacco actually cause people to smoke. This is a retailing issue, not an issue of lobbyists versus tobacco companies,” Mr Green said. “We retailers hῥlp make up the economic backbone of this country, not the anti-smoΎing groups whose snouts are in the troughs of the very taxes we payᾠthe State

Only one or two countries have gone as far as banning displays. Currently, England and Scotland are considering proposals for a ban, and we are urging them to decline it. A ban affects only retailers, who would be required to spend thousands of dollars re-configuring their shops and would have faced a raft of other issues as a result, Mr Green said today.

Last year, economic research from the Association of Convenience Stores (NZACS) showed banning tobacco displays would cost retailers collectively more than $45 million to implement.

“The National Government took a commonsense approach and ended any speculation of a display ban. Mum and Dad family retailers around the country breathed an economic sigh of relief. To revisit this decision would hurt retailers,” he said.

“No-one in New Zealand wants a return to the nanny state we witnessed under the previous Labour-led Government. Retailers want to be able to confidently sell their products openly and not be subject to unnecessary restrictions because a few anti-tobacco fundamentalists don’t like people smoking.”

"There is no evidence that banning displays will reduce smoking. Stay Displays backed the National Government’s decision, and we continue to oppose any discussions to re-visit it,” Mr Green said.

Stay Displays was formed in 2007 by owners of dairies and convenience stores. For more information, go to www.staydisplays.co.nz

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