55% of OECD member countries ban cigarette advertising in retail stores... 86 countries cannot display
Overseas research 'verifies' the effect of advertising ban... Five bills related to advertising ban pending in the National Assembly
There are criticisms domestically that the regulation of attaching sheets to prevent cigarette advertisements inside convenience stores from being visible is excessive, but if you look overseas, there are many countries that regulate cigarette advertisements in convenience stores altogether.
According to anti-smoking groups on the 23rd, 111 countries have banned tobacco retail stores such as convenience stores from advertising cigarettes.
Among them, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries are Norway, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Türkiye, Portugal, Poland, and France. , Finland, and 21 other countries. This corresponds to 55% of 38 OECD countries.
There are 86 countries that prohibit the display of cigarettes in tobacco retail stores.
Luxembourg, Libya, Myanmar, Australia, Israel, and India only ban cigarette displays, while Denmark, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Spain, Egypt, and Italy only ban cigarette advertising.
Australia bans the display of cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and related items, and requires cigarettes to be stored only in spaces such as under checkout counters that are not visible to consumers.
Finland banned advertising of cigarettes in cigarette retail stores in 1976, and also banned them from being displayed in 2010. Tobacco sales are only allowed in closed display cases, and only product lists and price information can be presented when necessary.
Thailand is the first country in Asia to ban the display and advertising of cigarettes in tobacco retail stores. Only the name and price of cigarettes and signs indicating that it is a tobacco retail store are permitted.
There are many research results at home and abroad that show that cigarette advertising and displays in retail stores increase the smoking rate, and conversely, banning them is effective in reducing the smoking rate.
In Korea, among cigarette advertisements in convenience stores, youth's attention is focused on cigarettes and flavored and cartoon character cigarette advertisements, increasing potential smoking intentions and expectations (Sogang University, 2017). The more youth are exposed to convenience store cigarette advertisements, the more their desire to smoke increases. There is research showing that future smoking intentions increase (Shin Seong-rye et al., 2014).
In New Zealand, the smoking experience of adolescents decreased from 23% (2011) before the implementation of the policy banning cigarette display in retail stores to 17% (2014), the smoking rate decreased from 9% to 7%, and the smoking attempt rate decreased from 30% to 26%. Research results have shown that it has been lowered to .
In the UK, a policy banning the display of tobacco products was gradually introduced between 2012 and 2015, and youth acceptance of smoking fell from 28% before the policy was implemented to 18% after the policy was implemented.
Although Korea lags behind the global trend in policies banning tobacco advertising and display, Korea ratified the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005 and is currently a party to the convention.
Article 13 of the Convention recommends the implementation of a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship activities and recommends a ban on tobacco advertising in tobacco retail stores.
Bills to strengthen tobacco advertising regulations are constantly being submitted to the National Assembly, but they rarely reach the legislative stage.
In this 21st National Assembly, there are five public proposals related to tobacco advertising and display, including banning the display and exposure of cigarettes inside tobacco retail stores (Representative Ko Young-in) and banning the display of cigarettes at designated retail outlets that sell cigarettes (Representative Kim Soo-hong). An amendment to the Health Promotion Act was proposed.
The bill proposed by Rep. Lim Oh-kyung and Rep. Shin Hyeon-young, respectively, contains provisions prohibiting sales offices located in educational environment protection zones (within 200 meters from the school boundary) from displaying, exposing, or advertising cigarettes. Rep. Lim Ja's bill prohibits business establishments in educational environmental protection zones from displaying or storing cigarettes in an exposed manner.