Ban On Tobacco Ads Near Schools Proposed

The Government has proposed a ban on cigarette advertising within a mile of any school, as a move to strengthen controls, particularly against adverts that reach 11 to 15 year olds.

Half the poster sites in the UK are situated within a 400 metre radius of schools, 85% of sites are within a 1000 metre radius and almost all sites are within a mile radius. If the proposed ban was to be enforced this would effectively be a total ban on outdoor cigarette advertising. An alternative to this restriction would be more explicit health warnings on advertisements.