Why a display ban on tobacco products will only help the illicit dealers
South Africa’s informal retail sector simply does not have the infrastructure to ‘hide’ products under various types of counters used in informal trade, as would be required by the display ban on tobacco products proposed in the Tobacco Control Bill (TCB). Implementing this approach will effectively criminalise hundreds of thousands of informal traders trying to make a living – and stimulate illicit cigarette sales even further.
What is a retail display ban?
Retail display bans are the most extreme form of point of sale restrictions on tobacco products. These bans typically involve the total concealment from sight of relevant products, usually with doors or shutters covering the front of the tobacco and other relevant units. Promotional product materials at points of sale are normally also prohibited, leaving the only information available about the products being a list of brands stocked with their associated price.
Read the full factsheet below:
For more information, contact:
Zach Motsumi (SATTA spokesperson): 083 216 8842
Khabo Hlatshwayo: 083 507 7548
info@tobaccotransformationalliance.co.za
Follow SATTA on twitter @TTASouthAfrica
