Public views sought on stricter tobacco control measures

SINGAPORE — While stricter rules on displaying tobacco products are set to be introduced soon, the authorities could allow tobacco product retailers to show text-only price lists upon customers’ requests.

This exception was proposed after a round of consultations with the public and tobacco retailers on amendments to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Last year, the ministry said that the display of tobacco products in retail shops will be prohibited from the end of this year. A public consultation in June 2013 found that there was strong support on the proposed ban against displaying tobacco products publicly. It also held trade engagement sessions with tobacco retailers in November last year to address their potential concerns to the introduction of this ban.

In a media statement today (June 25), MOH said it would be holding its last round of public consultations till July 24 before effecting changes to the Act. 

Currently, retailers are not allowed to use price lists as they are considered a form of advertisement. But the amended Act could result in an exception to this. “This way, customers will not need to request to view the tobacco products within the storage units for an extended period of time, thus reducing the period during which other customers are exposed to the tobacco product,” said the MOH.

The proposed ban on point-of-sale (POS) displays is aimed at reducing the exposure of non-smokers, especially youth, to advertising effects. “It also aims to reduce the likelihood of tobacco products being purchased on impulse and thereby help smokers who are trying to quit,” MOH said. 

In 2012, a HPB-commissioned independent survey of 1,300 smokers and non-smokers (aged 18 to 69) found that 50 per cent of those aged between 18 and 29 were tempted to smoke on seeing the POS displays.

Under the proposed ban, tobacco retailers will be required to keep tobacco products out of the direct line of sight of patrons, in permanent, self-closing and opaque storage units within their stores. The ministry is also proposing that the amended Act allows the authorities to standardise and prescribe specifications for the visual characteristics of “No Sale to Minors” signs used by retailers.

The MOH is also intending improve enforcement aspects and “update the act to keep up with new imitation tobacco products and sales promotional schemes”. This includes allowing authorised officers to have enforcement powers such as requesting for identification, and searching vehicles and bags.

To ensure control over imitation tobacco products, the Act could also be amended to prohibit the sale and advertisement of products “that may be used in such a way as to mimic the act of smoking, as well as those that resemble tobacco products”. The redemption of reward points for tobacco products and similar shopper loyalty programmes could also be disallowed to curb schemes that encourage the consumption of tobacco products.

Earlier this month, MOH announced it would also be banning emerging tobacco products such as smokeless cigarettes from December to better protect public health.

Retailers TODAY interviewed felt the display bans would be of limited deterrence. Said an employee at a shop at Serangoon: “(It) will not help to curb smoking or impulsive smokers. If the Government wants to curb smoking they may as well ban cigarettes in Singapore, then people would not be able to get their hands on cigarettes.”

Another employee felt having to refer to a list was troublesome. “(It) will make it hard to deal with customers ... especially during busy times,” she said. 

A 22-year-old undergraduate who declined to be named said: “For regular smokers, we already know what we want and where to get it, so it won’t really affect us. But maybe for social smokers, for kids who want to bypass the age limit, maybe they won’t know where to get the cigarettes.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LYNETTE TAN