ASH Wales has today welcomed the announcement by the Westminster Government that they plan to press ahead with the ban on behind the counter displays of tobacco as outlined in the 2009 Health Act.

The details have been outlined in the publication “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England” published by the Department of Health today.

Tanya Buchanan, Chief Executive of ASH Wales, commented: “We are delighted that the Government has resisted the pressure from the tobacco industry and is pressing ahead with the ban but it is disappointing that the regulations will not be implemented as quickly as we would have liked. We know from the Irish experience that the ban is effective in denormalising and reducing the attraction of smoking amongst teenagers.

“This is really good news for the public health community in England and our partners in the Smokefree Action Coalition who have been tirelessly campaigning for tobacco to be hidden from sight in shops. We offer our congratulations to them and their colleagues on this important step to protect children from a lifetime of addiction.”