Coop Danmark is urging politicians to change the legislation regarding tobacco sales, in order to prevent youth smoking.
The retailer is currently running a trial in its Irma supermarkets where tobacco products are displayed less visibly behind the checkouts.
"In Irma we would like to take the lead and show the politicians how we can contribute to reduce youth smoking," said Søren Steffensen, chain manager at Irma.
Smoke-Free Future
Coop's plans are a part of an initiative with the Danish Cancer Society called Røgfri Fremtid, or Smoke-Free Future, which aims to stop child and youth smoking by 2030.
According to Coop, research shows that fewer young people start smoking when tobacco is no longer visible. This has inspired the retailer's current trial, which seeks to initiate a political debate about tobacco sales in the entire retail sector.
"We hope the experiment can raise the debate, and ultimately have fewer children and young people smoking," said Steffensen.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
