JTI’s opposition of the generational smoking ban has been criticised by a retailer, who accused the supplier of only being concerned about the potential damage to its sales.

Speaking at the Scottish Grocers Federation’s (SGF) Retail Crime Seminar on 13 March, JTI fiscal and regulatory affairs manager, Jamie Sanders, warned the legislation would increase the risk of abuse to retailers.

If approved, the ban will raise the legal age of buying cigarettes by one year, every year from 2027.  

Sanders told attendees: “Imagine walking into a store 20 years from now to face growing tensions over a product you’re legally allowed to sell today. That’s the future we might be facing under the government’s proposed generational smoking ban.

“The burden of enforcing the ban will fall squarely on retailers, disproportionately affecting smaller independent businesses as just another regulatory challenge on top of many others you already have to deal with.

“The most common triggers of abuse is refusing sales and asking for proof of age. I am concerned about the rise of retail crime. Refusing sales to a minor is one thing. Refusing a sale to [an adult] is another and the proposed ban is likely to exacerbate tensions between customers and staff.”

JTI accused of only caring about its own sales

However, Sanders’s comments faced backlash from a retailer in the audience, who claimed JTI was only concerned about the impact to its own sales, and not the safety of retailers.

Addressing Sanders, the retailer, from a major grocer, said: “There’s more benefits than there are negatives. Your business will continue to make money [if there’s no ban], but think of the people. I know what it’s like for families [to lose relatives to smoking]. Personally I don’t agree and I think the government is doing the right thing.

“I think you’re trying to put a positive spin on it. From my point of view as a retailer, I might lose sales and it might impact trade, but there’s more benefits.”

In response, Sanders claimed JTI’s opposition was to prevent the government from “stopping adults making a choice.” He added: “If an adult understands the risk of a product and wishes to purchase it, they should make that choice. Once you ban this, do you ban alcohol and other items?”

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