First shop in Scotland fined for displaying cigarettes

An Aberdeen retailer has become the first in scotland to be fined for having cigarettes on open display.

The news comes as an eu ruling yesterday ordered colourful branding be stripped from cigarette packets, so as not to distract from health warnings.

The £200 fixed penalty notice was handed to the owner after Aberdeen City Council was tipped off about the shop selling cigarettes on open display.

When Trading standards officers visited the shop they discovered several shelves of cigarettes in full view of customers – despite having issued a previous warning to the retailer.

The Tobacco and Primary Medical services (scotland) Act 2010 requires all shops and supermarkets to hide tobacco products from public view.

Trading standards officers can issue fixed penalties ranging from £150 to more than £1,000.

Aberdeen City Council Trading standards manager Graeme Paton said: ‘The aim of covering tobacco displays is to protect children from the promotion of tobacco products. It’s one of many measures introduced to try to reduce the appeal of smoking to young people. While compliance has been very high in Aberdeen, there have been a few instances where cigarettes have been on open view.

‘usually, advice is all that is needed but sometimes we need to issue a fixed-penalty notice.’

The new eu regulation means cigarette packs will now be a single colour, pantone 448C opaque couché green – which is, according to market research, ‘the world’s ugliest colour’. The brand name will be written in a standard font and size.

new health warnings covering 60 per cent of the pack will also be introduced and cigarettes will no longer be sold in packs of fewer than 20, as they are deemed too small to carry proper health warnings.