Qld tobacco stores luring children with cartoon characters

Window toy displays and cartoons and movie characters on shopfronts are being used to attract children to Queensland tobacco stores.

Two unaccompanied children browse inside a Queensland tobacconist. Picture: Kylie Morphett

Children are being targeted by tobacco marketing, including in toy stores, amid gaps in Australian laws, Queensland researchers have revealed.

Window toy displays, cartoons and movie characters on shopfronts are being used to attract children, a University of Queensland study has found.

In a comprehensive review of Australian federal, state and territory tobacco control laws, the researchers analysed how well children were protected from exposure to tobacco marketing in retail environments.

UQ School of Public Health’s Kylie Morphett said current laws allowed tobacco to be normalised for children, with no restrictions on the types of retailers who could sell tobacco, including toy stores.

“Anecdotal evidence suggests some Australian tobacconists are undermining tobacco control measures by selling confectionery, toys and other products designed to appeal to minors,’’ Dr Morphett said.

“Examples include a tobacconist featuring images of the PG rated movie The Mask in its signage, a tobacconist store painted in SpongeBob cartoon images, a tobacconist featuring a large Pikachu Pokemon character and Iron Man at its entrance, and tobacconists with window toy displays at child height.

“Stores that predominantly sell children’s products, such as toy stores, have also been found selling tobacco in Australia, which is not prevented by current tobacco retailing laws.’’

Pokemon and Iron Man displays in a tobacconist. Picture: Sisay Derso Mengesha

Other gaps in the laws that exposed children to tobacco marketing included some jurisdictions that still allowed children to sell tobacco products, and none that restricted the location or number of tobacco retailers.

The review found tobacco laws should be strengthened to de-normalise tobacco products and that Australia lacked a consistent national approach to tobacco retailing controls.

Recommended regulatory measures included preventing tobacconists from selling products designed for children such as toys and confectionery; restricting entry by children to tobacconists; and ending the sale of tobacco by general mixed-business retailers.

Professor Coral Gartner, who led the research, said there were significant opportunities to strengthen current laws.

“There are still many ways youth can be targeted by tobacco retailers and attracted to smoking through practices that remain under-regulated,’’ Professor Gartner said.

“For young people, exposure to tobacco retailing is associated with increased likelihood of experimentation, initiation and uptake of smoking.”

Earlier this year the state government revealed it was investigating ways to financially ruin shops caught selling vapes and illegal tobacco in an effort to disrupt the booming underground criminal market.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls revealed the government was looking at more extreme measures to interrupt supply chains as Queensland Health officers could only dish out $3226 on-the-spot fines to individual businesses and temporarily shut down shops for up to 72 hours.

Originally published as Qld tobacco stores luring children with cartoon characters