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Legislation in Ireland now requires standardised packaging for cigarette packets as well as the EU mandated combined graphic and text anti-smoking warnings. However, although overt tobacco advertising has also been banned for many years in Ireland, a lacuna currently exists in relation to cigarette vending machines. An examination of industry practice has identified the use of bucolic and coastal scenes on the outside of vending machines. This is problematic for three reasons. First, they are reminiscent of former cigarette advertisements and packaging. Second, such artwork serves to minimise the environmental damage caused by the tobacco industry and their products. Third, the use of landscape imagery undermines the Irish Government's strategy of denormalising smoking. COMMENTARY Recent years have witnessed dramatic advances in tobacco control in many countries including Ireland. Restrictions on tobacco advertising in Ireland are longstanding, and include bans in both the media and at the point-of-sale. Ireland has also recently introduced mandatory plain packaging for cigarette packs (featuring Pantone 448 C, often described as the world's ugliest colour) 1. This follows on from prior EU legislation that had already introduced combined graphic and text anti-smoking warnings, some years ago. Thus, cigarette packets may now be referred to as dissuasive 2. However, having made the cigarette packets aversive and having outlawed not only in-store advertising, but also the open display of cigarette packets, the question of the appearance of cigarette vending machines in Ireland remains. Current Irish legislation around such machines requires the packets themselves to be effectively hidden, and clearly prohibits tobacco advertising. However, unlike some other countries such as New Zealand 3 , beyond these basic stipulations in Ireland there is little or no guidance. In contrast to its Information for Retailers document, for example, the Ministry of Health in New Zealand suggests 3 : 'Consider restocking when your premises are closed or during quiet times. If you restock during busy times, there is an increased risk that tobacco products will be left in the view of the public…' 'Don't leave the restocking process to serve customers or do other tasks unless you remove the tobacco products from their sight and close the cabinets'. It should be noted that the vast majority of European countries have already banned cigarette vending machines, often because of evidence demonstrating the importance of this route in youth access to tobacco products 4. Increasingly sophisticated measures designed to restrict access to tobacco products from vending machines to adults only, have largely proven ineffective 5-9 .
Legislation in Ireland now requires standardised packaging for cigarette packets as well as the EU mandated combined graphic and text anti-smoking warnings. However, although overt tobacco advertising has also been banned for many years in Ireland, a lacuna currently exists in relation to cigarette vending machines. An examination of industry practice has identified the use of bucolic and coastal scenes on the outside of vending machines. This is problematic for three reasons. First, they are reminiscent of former cigarette advertisements and packaging. Second, such artwork serves to minimise the environmental damage caused by the tobacco industry and their products. Third, the use of landscape imagery undermines the Irish Government's strategy of denormalising smoking. COMMENTARY Recent years have witnessed dramatic advances in tobacco control in many countries including Ireland. Restrictions on tobacco advertising in Ireland are longstanding, and include bans in both the media and at the point-of-sale. Ireland has also recently introduced mandatory plain packaging for cigarette packs (featuring Pantone 448 C, often described as the world's ugliest colour) 1. This follows on from prior EU legislation that had already introduced combined graphic and text anti-smoking warnings, some years ago. Thus, cigarette packets may now be referred to as dissuasive 2. However, having made the cigarette packets aversive and having outlawed not only in-store advertising, but also the open display of cigarette packets, the question of the appearance of cigarette vending machines in Ireland remains. Current Irish legislation around such machines requires the packets themselves to be effectively hidden, and clearly prohibits tobacco advertising. However, unlike some other countries such as New Zealand 3 , beyond these basic stipulations in Ireland there is little or no guidance. In contrast to its Information for Retailers document, for example, the Ministry of Health in New Zealand suggests 3 : 'Consider restocking when your premises are closed or during quiet times. If you restock during busy times, there is an increased risk that tobacco products will be left in the view of the public…' 'Don't leave the restocking process to serve customers or do other tasks unless you remove the tobacco products from their sight and close the cabinets'. It should be noted that the vast majority of European countries have already banned cigarette vending machines, often because of evidence demonstrating the importance of this route in youth access to tobacco products 4. Increasingly sophisticated measures designed to restrict access to tobacco products from vending machines to adults only, have largely proven ineffective 5-9 .
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