It's not over

Cigar retailers are battling for exemptions from the English and Welsh smoking ban. Rob Allanson reports

With the chance that the English smoking ban will take the same form as the Scottish – a blanket ban for all public enclosed places – the specialist tobacco retailers are preparing themselves for one last stand.

The Association of Independent Specialist Tobacconists (AITS), in partnership with the Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council (ITPAC) and fronted by Hunters & Frankau’s Simon Chase, has been battling to secure exemptions for smoking to be allowed to continue, in the interests of product tasting and testing, in specialist tobacconists shops.

The current estimate is that there are 46 specialist shops, 45 in England and one in Wales, as defined by the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002.

This states that a specialist shop is one where more than half the sales derive from cigars, snuff, pipe tobaccos and smoking accessories.

The retailers’ case for an exemption hangs on several key points which include the fact that smoking is an integral part of the way they do business, particularly in product selection, quality control and sampling; also that specialist tobacconists are frequented predominantly by mature, male adults who smoke. Children and young people are not attracted by the products on sale.

The campaign has highlighted the plight of shops at each stage of the Health Bill’s passage through Parliament, and specialist tobacconists encouraged their customers to join a widespread card and internet petition backing the campaign directed at members of Par.....

To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door.

By Rob Allanson

Section : Smoking Issues

Page number : 13

Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 8 on 20/05/2006.

This article is 74 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements.



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	It's not over Cigar retailers are battling for exemptions from the English and Welsh smoking ban. Rob Allanson reports With the chance that the English smoking ban will take the same form as the Scottish – a blanket ban for all public enclosed places – the specialist tobacco retailers are preparing themselves for one last stand. The Association of Independent Specialist Tobacconists (AITS), in partnership with the Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council (ITPAC) and fronted by Hunters & Frankau’s Simon Chase, has been battling to secure exemptions for smoking to be allowed to continue, in the interests of product tasting and testing, in specialist tobacconists shops. The current estimate is that there are 46 specialist shops, 45 in England and one in Wales, as defined by the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002. This states that a specialist shop is one where more than half the sales derive from cigars, snuff, pipe tobaccos and smoking accessories. The retailers’ case for an exemption hangs on several key points which include the fact that smoking is an integral part of the way they do business, particularly in product selection, quality control and sampling; also that specialist tobacconists are frequented predominantly by mature, male adults who smoke. Children and young people are not attracted by the products on sale. The campaign has highlighted the plight of shops at each stage of the Health Bill’s passage through Parliament, and specialist tobacconists encouraged their customers to join a widespread card and internet petition backing the campaign directed at members of Par..... To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door. By Rob Allanson Section : Smoking Issues Page number : 13 Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 8 on 20/05/2006. Subscribe Buy this issue More from this issue Preview other issues This article is 74 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements. Copyright Cigar Buyer © 1999-2012. All rights reserved. To use or reproduce part or all of this article please contact us for details of how you can do so legally.