Tobacco display ban

Tobacco display bans are in place in several countries and regions: Australia, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Macao,[1] New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Singapore,[2] Thailand, and the United Kingdom.

[5] It is not yet clear whether the shop closures were linked to the tobacco display ban or the significant wider economic issues affecting Iceland during the period in question.

Proponents of tobacco display bans argue that some of the stores have closed for other reasons, such as the prevailing economic conditions or a downward trend in smoking levels.

They note that the few studies that have been undertaken at best show a correlation between certain trends, but stress that does not prove causation between the ban and alleged increases in shop closures, nor smoking levels.

In the August 2010 issue of Pediatrics it is argued that young people who visit tobacco stores frequently smoke more often than their peers.

Russia prohibits retailers from openly displaying tobacco products. At this supermarket in Moscow, cigarettes are kept hidden from plain sight in boxes. The number on each box corresponds to a cigarette brand shown on the sign above the shelves.