United Kingdom, 16 January 2009 – In response to the publication of proposed legislation banning retail displays of tobacco products announced today in the House of Lords, Japan Tobacco International (‘JTI’) is concerned that there is no reliable evidence to support the proposal.
JTI is also questioning strongly the adequacy of the Department of Health (‘DOH’) consultation process, the consideration given to responses and the statistics used in the consultation report (published 9 December 2008). This is particularly concerning given the ramifications of the legislation in relation to the likely increase in illicit tobacco trading and consequent reduction in income for smaller independent retailers. [...]