Anti-smoking group, ASH, has thanked Catherine McKinnell MP for her efforts to campaign against moves to relax tobacco advertising.

Ms McKinnell, who is a strong supporter of ASH’s campaign to reduce the number of smokers, has urged the government to honour the commitment made by Labour to ban cigarette vending machines and ‘point of sale’ tobacco displays in shops.

‘It’s no coincidence that where legislation banning these exists, teen smoking rates have dropped and attitudes towards tobacco have changed,’ said Ms McKinnell. ‘100,000 people across the UK die every year from smoking related illnesses and most of these take up the habit before the age of 19, when evidence suggests that people are particularly susceptible to advertising and peer pressure.’

‘Banning displays of tobacco in shops and the sale of cigarettes from vending machines will make it far less likely that young people will be tempted to begin smoking. The government must remain firm in its efforts to protect young people from this deadly addiction and not back down to pressure from the tobacco industry.’

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