A Bill to strengthen the Island's tobacco legislation has received its first reading in the House of Keys.
The Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2015 contains a number of proposals aimed at protecting children in particular from exposure to tobacco products and tobacco advertising.
Specifically the Bill proposes:
• a ban on tobacco displays
• further controls on tobacco advertising
• a ban on the sale of tobacco products from vending machines
• the introduction of the ability to issue fixed penalty notices (fines) for smoking offences.
The Bill has been reviewed following careful consideration of the feedback received from the recent public consultation, with a summary of responses available here.
Commenting on the Bill, Member for Health and Social Care, Alfred Cannan MHK, said:
'It is important that we recognise the damage that smoking can have on people's health. We must do everything we can to minimise the risks for children and young adults in particular. This move is a positive step forward as it restricts the visibility and availability of tobacco products and will help to reduce the appeal of smoking and impulse buying of tobacco.'
The Bill will bring the Isle of Man into line with other jurisdictions, such as England, which have already banned the sale of tobacco from vending machines and the display of tobacco products at the point of sale.
There is evidence that tobacco displays in shops and tobacco advertising influence young people and increase the likelihood of them taking up smoking. Point of sale tobacco displays increase the likelihood of impulse buying, which can impact on people who have quit or are trying to stop smoking, resulting in relapse.
In addition, there has been growing concern that children are purchasing tobacco products from vending machines, which are often not supervised, meaning that age checks cannot take place.
Smoking has a detrimental and often devastating effect on an individual's health which increases pressure on the health service. Campaigns to raise awareness, initiatives to educate the public, and changes to the law have all been successful in reducing the number of people smoking.
Amendments have also been included in the Bill for introduction of the ability to issue fixed penalty notices for smoking related offences under existing regulations which are enforced by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, including any new offences that are created in the future.
