Australian study dismantles vital tobacco industry myth
22 November 2007
World-first study dismantles vital tobacco industry myth
Sydney, Australia: A world-first study led by Australian researchers has blown the lid off the tobacco industry myth that cigarette pack displays in the retail environment are harmless.
The study, published in the international journal Addiction, and led by Professor Melanie Wakefield at The Cancer Council Victoria, Australia, found that those trying to quit or cut down smoking commonly experience urges to purchase cigarettes when confronted with cigarette pack displays in retail stores.
The findings have prompted health groups to call on governments around the world to make removing cigarette pack displays from sight in the retail environment an urgent public health priority.
A World Health Organization treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, requires governments who are Parties to the Convention - 151 countries so far - to undertake a comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
“The findings of this research make clear that tobacco product display is a key form of tobacco promotion. Countries need to regulate all forms of tobacco promotion such as display of products at the point of sale before they can legitimately claim to have a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship,” said Shoba John, an international tobacco control policy expert and spokesperson for the Framework Convention Alliance on Tobacco Control.
The study aimed to assess the extent to which cigarette pack displays in retail stores stimulate impulse purchases of cigarettes. The study was a telephone-administered population survey of 2996 adults, among whom 526 smoked factory-made cigarettes and 67 were recent quitters (quit in the past 12 months).
Professor Wakefield said the tobacco industry’s increasing reliance on cigarette pack displays is a marketing ploy to create maximum stand-out of cigarette packs, with cigarette pack displays in most convenience stores, petrol stations and supermarkets positioned near the cash register for the greatest impact.
“The importance to the tobacco industry of cigarette pack displays in the retail environment has gained in recent years, as traditional electronic, billboard and print forms of tobacco marketing are restricted.”
“Far from being a benign marketing practice, our study illustrates that cigarette pack displays in retail stores do trigger impulse buying of cigarette among in smokers, even those who are trying to quit, every time they visit a store.”
“More than half of long-term smokers will end up dying of a smoking caused-disease, so in light of these findings we urge all governments to develop legislation to remove tobacco displays from sight in retail stores,” said Professor Wakefield.
Key findings of the study include:
· Thirty-eight per cent of smokers who had tried to quit in the past 12 months and 34% of recent quitters experienced an urge to buy cigarettes as a result of seeing the retail cigarette display.
· Among the smokers who had tried to quit in the past 12 months and experienced an urge to buy cigarettes when seeing the cigarette display, 61% bought cigarettes, even though they were trying to quit.
· When shopping for items other than cigarettes, 25.2% of smokers purchased cigarettes at least sometimes on impulse as a result of seeing the cigarette display.
· One in five smokers trying to quit and one in eight recent quitters avoided stores where they usually bought cigarettes in case they might be tempted to purchase them.
For more information on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Parties go to http://www.fctc.org/index.php?item=treatyfaq
To interview Professor Wakefield contact Edwina Pearse, Media Manager, Quit Victoria, Australia
Ph: +61 3 9635 5400 mobile: +61 417 303 811
email: edwina.pearse@cancervic.org.au
To interview Shoba John contact Susan Cavanagh, Communications Manager, Framework Convention Alliance, Mobile: +61 416 361 759
