The federal Executive completely prohibited the cigar display in all stores in the country, starting next January 15, after rejecting claims and objections from business chambers, small merchants, tobacco companies and others affected.
In addition, restaurants will no longer be able to offer food and beverage service in the smoking areas.
After a seven-month consultation process, the public government yesterday in the Official Journal of the Federation a decree that reforms the Regulation of the General Law on Tobacco Control.
This will prevent the tobacco Products Display, and stores will only be allowed to display a list of available brands and prices for public consultation.
A reform to said law approved last February completely prohibits the advertising of the cigar.
“It is prohibited to carry out any form of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of products made with tobacco, directly or indirectly, through any means of dissemination or communication that intends to position the elements of the brand of these, that encourages the purchase, consumption or preference by the population”, indicates the reformed article 23.
The Chambers of Commerce They argue that the display of the product is not advertising, so the Regulation would be unconstitutional, since the Executive will go beyond what Congress authorized.
The Power of attorney will have to clarify this issue, given the protections that will foreseeably be filed by both large commercial chains and small merchants.
According to National Chamber of Commerce (Canaco), the cigars represent 25 percent of the sales of small merchants, while the National Association of Grocers He argued that hiding the product encouraged illegal sales.
“In accordance with widely documented scientific evidence, the tobacco industry It takes advantage of the points of sale to advertise and promote its products and is even aimed at the most vulnerable groups, such as girls, boys and adolescents, attracted by its colorful colors and designs, which together with the strategic placement adjacent to sweets and candies, it promotes the normalization of consumption, attracts new consumers and makes it difficult for people trying to quit smoking to give up consumption,” argued the Ssa on October 20, rejecting business arguments.
The agency included a list of 43 countries that prohibit the display of cigarettes at points of sale.
The Regulation will also eliminate smoking areas in restaurants, since food and drinks may not be served in spaces for smokers, who will be sent to sites exclusively for that activity.
In addition, the social responsibility actions of tobacco companies, for which they provide support in tobacco production areas, will be prohibited, considering that it is also a form of advertising.
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