Action to stop the promotion of tobacco products has been taken over many years. While the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 prohibit tobacco advertising, the tobacco industry continues to find ways of promoting tobacco products, for example through packaging, point of sale displays and through entertainment media, including the internet. Given the substantial health risks caused by tobacco use, the Government is committed to preventing the promotion of tobacco products to both young people and adults.

To support the Government’s comprehensive tobacco control strategy to stop the promotion of tobacco, Tobacco Free Futures facilitated 60,000 individual public responses from the North West to a Department of Health national consultation on the Health Bill in 2008, along with significant subsequent advocacy and a further consultation on Point of Sale measures in 2010, contributed to a new legislation on tobacco displays at point of sale.

Public engagement is a significant aspect of Tobacco Free Futures work, with a focus on influencing local and national tobacco control strategies.

Following the lead of Australia, the Government’s consultation on the potential for cigarettes to be sold in plain packs will also take place before the end of March 2012. To pledge your support for plain packaging and to protect children visit our homepage and sign up right now www.tobaccofreefutures.org

Point of sale legislation in England will prohibit the display of cigarette packs and will come into effect in larger shops from April 2012 and in smaller shops from April 2015.