By Denise McMeel
denise@monaghanpost.com

A CARRICKMACROSS newsagent has warned that a new government law banning the display of tobacco products could have a detrimental effect on the profits of smaller shops.
Philip Keegan of Keegan’s Newsagent on Main Street says that under the new law shop owners will be forced to place all tobacco products under the counter and completely out of sight of their customers.
“No-one will have a clue whether we even sell tobacco or not,” said Philip, a member of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA).
Under the Public Health Tobacco Acts 2002 and 2004 Acts, point-of-sale advertising and the display of tobacco products will be banned from July 1 2009. Tobacco products will have to be sold from a dispenser and customers who want to buy tobacco will also have to ask for a special menu.
However, the CSNA say that international studies show that this menu system causes delays for shopkeepers and will dramatically reduce their turnover.
“Our shops are all about speed and convenience for the customer,” said Philip. “If you take that away you are destroying our business model and taking the last advantage we have left.”
Instead, the CSNA is proposing that a single example pack of each product is displayed behind the counter. They say the single example pack is not advertising but consumer information required by EU Law. They believe it would achieve the same result in restricting advertising but would hurt small businesses less.
“I don’t have any problem with the restrictions on advertising, but I live in the real world and there has to be a sample product behind the counter so customers immediately know what they can buy,” added Mr Keegan.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Children said: “The legislation does not require customers to ask for a special menu to buy tobacco products. The provision of a “menu board” is permitted if required by the customer. The menu board need therefore only be shown to those whose first brand is not stocked by the retailer and they enquire as to what products are available or where there may be language barriers.”
The Department has signalled that provisions of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 and 2004 are to commence this month.