Site last updated on March 09, 2010.

Recently a number of countries have banned the display of tobacco products at the point of sale, arguing this is a necessary step to prevent people, particularly youth, from smoking.

The results so far seem to suggest that this is not the case.

Many have contended that a display ban is ineffective at reducing smoking, is costly for retailers to implement and leads to serious adverse consequences such as an increase in illegal cigarettes.

Display ban

Impact on retailers

Illegal cigarettes

Organized crime

Information on display bans

A point of sale display ban is legislation prohibiting the display of any tobacco products at retail outlets.

To date,only Australia, Canada, Iceland, Ireland and Norway have banned the display of tobacco products at point of sale.

Retailers, consumers, manufacturers and government enforcement agencies are negatively affected by point of sales display bans.

- Norway is the most recent country to have banned the display of tobacco products. The ban entered into effect on January 1, 2010 and even includes smoking articles such as pipes and cigarette paper.

On March 9, 2010, Philip Morris Norway AS announced a lawsuit challenging the Norwegian product display ban.

Click here for press release (Eng)

Click here for press release (Nor)

Reports and Studies

LECG study - 2009

A recent study using statistical techniques conducted by LECG, a leading global finance and economic consultancy, shows that the point of sale display ban in Iceland has had no effect on reducing smoking prevalence


Click here for the full report

Philip Morris International Management S.A.(PMIMSA) does not support a ban on the display of tobacco products at the point of sale. We are a supporter of regulation of tobacco products but believe that display bans are ineffective legislation, not proven to have any effect in reducing smoking. We believe that adult smokers should be able to see and select the brands they prefer at the point of sale.

We have developed this website in order to provide factual information on the prohibition of the display of tobacco products at point of sale and describe its effects on public health, adult smokers, retailers, manufacturers of tobacco products and enforcement agencies.