External Relations
Media
News at Stirling
The media contacts for further information on any of these stories, or for any media enquiries, are:
Andy Mitchell, Head of Communications & Media. Tel: 01786 467058.
Trudy Whyle, Communications Officer. Tel: 01786 466687.
For urgent media calls outside office hours, please call 01786 473171 and ask to be put in touch with a press officer.
Email mediarelations@stir.ac.uk
Inside the Obama election: James Naughtie reveals his stories from the campaign and takes your questions
Date released: Thursday 13 November 2008
The University’s new Chancellor, James Naughtie, is to give a unique insight to the recent American elections.
He will give the inside story of a phenomenal campaign that ended with Barack Obama being elected as President, returning a Democrat to the White House after eight years of leadership from George Bush.
This special event for staff and students at Stirling will take place on Thursday 20 November.
Having covered every US election for the past two decades, James Naughtie is recognised as an expert, perceptive and entertaining commentator on the American political system.
He made the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 essential listening for anyone who wanted the inside track on the progress of the election, from the impact of Sarah Palin to the funding of Barack Obama.
Hosted by the University Principal, Professor Christine Hallett, the event starts at 5pm, and will last for an hour with plenty of time for questions. The venue is Lecture Theatre A3 in the Cottrell Building. Admission is free and all are welcome, with no need to book a place – first come, first served.
Further information from External Relations, tel 01786 467055 or email externalrelations@stir.ac.uk
Call for action on occupational cancers
Date released: Friday 7 November 2008
A researcher at the University of Stirling has called for urgent government action to avert the “major public health disaster” caused by occupational cancers.
Writing in the European Journal of Oncology*, Professor Andrew Watterson says that more people die in Scotland from occupational cancers than from road accidents, murders and suicides combined.
With over half a million Scottish workers still exposed to workplace carcinogens, he has called for the government to implement a range of prevention measures that have been shown to make a difference in other countries.
Professor Watterson, chair of the Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, said: “The high toll taken by occupational cancers has been neglected, and UK regulators have been silent on this subject for a quarter of a century. Approximately539,172 Scottish workers are exposed to workplace carcinogens. Each year, new carcinogens emerge and more people are exposed to them.”
With 10-12% of all cancers estimated to be work-caused or work-related, this means there are up to 1800 such deaths each year in Scotland, at a cost of up to £2.4 million for each occupational cancer death. He has called for practical solutions, some well tried and tested in other countries, requiring a joined-up approach from government across health, environment and enterprise departments, with financial incentives for employers who invest in tackling carcinogens at source.
He said: “Scotland is well placed to run a national cancer prevention campaign on occupational and environmental cancers, and to introduce cost-effective toxics use reduction measures and policies.”
* Watterson A, Gorman T, O’Neill R (2008) Occupational cancer prevention in Scotland: a missing public health priority. European Journal of Oncology, vol. XIII, n. 3, 2008: pp161-170
University of Stirling awards honorary degrees for services to Scotland
Date released: Friday 31 October 2008
More than 700 University of Stirling students will be gowned and gathered at the Albert Halls, Stirling, on Friday 21 November, to attend their graduation ceremonies.
The University’s newly installed Chancellor, Dr James Naughtie, who is presiding over his first graduation ceremony, will cap the students during the conferral of degrees.
During the ceremonies, the University will award three honorary degrees to Mrs Margaret Barr, Mr Dennis Canavan and Dr Kathleen Dalyell.
Margaret Barr, Director of the Scottish Police College, will receive the award of Doctor of the University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to professional training, development and education in Scotland.
Margaret Barr joined Strathclyde Police in 1976. She moved swiftly through the ranks and gained wide operational experience in uniform and in specialist posts such as the CID. In 2002, she was appointed Deputy Director of the Scottish Police College, and later became Director with the rank of Deputy Chief Constable, the first woman and first serving police officer to hold the post. Under Mrs Barr’s leadership, Tulliallan has developed an international reputation for the training of Scottish Police.
Dennis Canavan, Scottish politician, will receive the award of Doctor of the University in recognition of his outstanding contribution to sport and public affairs.
In 1974, he was elected MP for West Stirlingshire, which included the University of Stirling. Following boundary changes in 1983, he was MP then MSP for Falkirk West. When he retired last year, he was the longest serving Parliamentarian in the Scottish Parliament, having completed a total of 33 years at Westminster then Holyrood. As Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Sports Group, he campaigned for better sports opportunities for all. He won a gold medal playing for Scotland in the 1967 British Universities Football Championships and still takes an active interest in sport.
Dr Kathleen Dalyell, Scottish heritage expert, will receive the award of Doctor of the University in recognition of her distinguished service to the University of Stirling and to civic Scotland.
After an early career as a teacher of History in Glasgow then Edinburgh, Kathleen Dalyell became a member of the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland. She has made a major contribution to civic life and heritage in Scotland, having served as Chair of the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments, Director of the Heritage Education Trust and as a National Trust for Scotland administrator at The Binns. Kathleen Dalyell served as the Chancellor’s nominee on the University Court from 2002 and was made an OBE in 2005.
There are three ceremonies on 21 November:
10am Ceremony
Honorary Graduate: Mrs Margaret Barr
Subjects: Applied Social Science; Nursing & Midwifery; Sports Studies; Aquaculture; Biological and Environmental Sciences.
12.30pm Ceremony
Honorary Graduate: Mr Dennis Canavan
Subjects: Economics; English Studies; History; Management; Philosophy; Politics; Education.
3pm Ceremony
Honorary Graduate: Dr Kathleen Dalyell
Subjects: Accounting & Finance; Computing Science & Mathematics; Film, Media & Journalism; Marketing; Psychology; Law; Languages, Cultures & Religions.
Honorary doctorate for Sir Alex Markham at Highland degree ceremony
Date released: Thursday, 30 October 2008
Students from the Highlands and Islands will be rewarded for years of study at the University of Stirling’s Graduation Ceremony, to be held in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Inverness, on Friday 7 November, at 12 noon.
Professor Christine Hallett, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, will preside as around 130 degrees are awarded to graduates from the University’s Highland and Western Isles campuses, mostly as BN (Bachelor of Nursing) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) degrees.
At the ceremony, the University will confer an honorary degree on Professor Sir Alex Markham. He will receive the award of Doctor of the University in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cancer prevention.
Professor Markham has made contributions to medical science in various fields. One of the pioneers of molecular genetics research in the UK, his commercial experience includes the worldwide development of DNA fingerprinting for forensic and medico-legal applications. He spent four years as head of Cancer Research UK, one of the world’s largest charities, where he lobbied Government to ensure that cancer research and the delivery of high quality cancer services remained priorities. Last year, he returned to academia as Professor of Medicine at Leeds University, and was knighted in the New Year Honours list.
Stirling golfer wins world title
Date released: Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Stirling student Gavin Dear (right) has helped Scotland to win golf's 2008 Eisenhower Trophy - the World Amateur Team Championship.
He was part of the successful three-man Scottish team which won the title in Australia. The trio of Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) and Wallace Booth (Comrie) battled through a severe wind at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club to cruise to a nine stroke victory ahead of the USA, leaving 63 other nations in their wake.
Gavin, the 2008 British Universities champion and a former GB World Universities team member, felt the conditions on the last day played into Scotland’s hands. "It helps because we are all good wind players," he said. "It was good to have it blowing a near gale and we know that par is a good score in such conditions."
Scotland’s win is all the more astonishing because it is only eight years since first entering this event as a separate nation. Previously Scotland’s involvement was as part of Great Britain & Ireland teams who won the title just four times in the 50 year history of the event.
A postgraduate golf scholar, Gavin is the fourth Stirling student to have represented Scotland in this event - the others being Colin Dalgleish, Gordon Sherry, Jamie McLeary and Richie Ramsay. He will compete in European Tour Qualifying Stage 3 in Spain later this month.
University welcomes Olympic swim coach
Date released: Wednesday, 15 October 2008
British Swimming has appointed Doug Frost, the experienced multiple Olympic medal winning coach, as Head Coach of the new British Swimming Intensive Training Centre (ITC) at the University of Stirling.
Frost is counted as one of the top coaches in world swimming and in his career he has coached countless elite Australian swimmers including Olympic medallists Ian Thorpe and Kirsten Thomson. Frost coached Thorpe from 1997 to his triple gold medal performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
It was announced in August that the National Swimming Academy at Stirling, Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, will be one of five Intensive Training Centres (ITC) to be established by British Swimming, as part of their aim to provide a world-class daily training environment for the nation’s top swimmers in the build-up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Peter Bilsborough, Director of Sports Development at the University, said: “This Intensive Training Centre will help the University and its partners build on all that has been achieved, providing the finest facilities and services to the country's most talented swimmers."
Frost, a former Senior Swimming Coach for the Australian Institute of Sport, is looking forward to helping British Swimming build on its success from Beijing:
"I am really excited about taking up my role at the Stirling ITC and working alongside Scottish Swimming,” he said. “I believe it will be a great experience and I am looking forward to the challenge of setting up the new centre. I think with the introduction of the new ITCs in Great Britain there will be a new added element of high-level competition between the centres that will only help further develop the sport, while introducing high-level training facilities will only help develop swimmers in the UK. After working at elite level in swimming for the past 18 years I believe I can help make Great Britain a dominant force in international swimming in 2012.”
Ally Whike, Director of Performance for Scottish Swimming, said: “Scottish Swimming looks forward to welcoming Doug to the National Swimming Academy. Doug's coaching credentials speak for themselves and we are confident he will work well within the University environment to take forward performance swimming in Stirling.”
University installs Dr James Naughtie as Chancellor
Date released: Thursday 9 October 2008 
The University of Stirling today celebrated a special event which takes place just once every ten years, the Installation of the Chancellor of the University.
The ceremonial installation of Dr James Naughtie - only the fifth Chancellor in the history of the University - was a sumptuous occasion.
This highlight of the University calendar began with a colourful Chancellor’s Procession through the grounds of the University to the MacRobert Arts Centre, where the installation took place. It was led by a mace-bearer, followed by a colourful assembly of staff, members of University Court and Academic Council, honorary graduates, Principals and Chancellors from other UK universities, honorary graduands and finally the Principal and Chancellor designate.
At the ceremony, the University also conferred honorary degrees on The Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP, Louise Martin CBE and Jasminder Singh OBE, in recognition of their contributions to society.
Dr Naughtie, one of Britain’s best-known broadcasters, succeeds Dame Diana Rigg as Chancellor, with a ten year term of office during which he will preside over graduation ceremonies and other key University events.
Born and educated in Aberdeenshire, he began his journalism career in 1975 on the Press and Journal and wrote for the Scotsman and Guardian before moving into broadcasting. Currently, he presents Today on BBC Radio 4, and is host of the network’s monthly Bookclub. For Today, he has travelled to more than two dozen countries, and has written and presented two acclaimed series on American politics.
He has also introduced programmes on music on BBC radio and television over many years and in 2007 wrote and presented an award-winning radio series, The Making of Music, an account of the European classical tradition. He has anchored BBC radio election results programmes for more than ten years, and been commentator at many national events on radio and television. He was made an honorary Doctor of the University of Stirling in 2001.
The Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP, former First Minister of Scotland, is made a Doctor of the University for his outstanding contribution to public affairs. A Stirling graduate in 1983, he embarked on a career of teaching but also became active in politics and was elected to Stirling Council. In 1999 he became an MSP in the first Scottish Parliament, was elected First Minister in 2001 and led the Scottish Labour Party to victory in the 2003 elections, holding the position until 2007. He has a long term interest in overseas aid and development.
Louise Martin CBE, who led Scotland’s successful Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Bid, is made a Doctor of the University for her outstanding contribution to sport and public affairs. One of the most respected sports administrators in the UK, earlier this year she was appointed Chair of Sportscotland. A consultant nutritionist, she lives in Dunblane, and is best known for her work with the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, located on the University of Stirling campus. She was also a successful athlete, competing in the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia where she made the swimming finals in 100m and 200m backstroke.
Jasminder Singh OBE, the founder, chairman and chief executive of Radisson Edwardian Hotels is made a Doctor of the University for services to the hotel industry. Born in Tanzania and educated in East Africa, he came to the UK in 1968 and qualified in accountancy before making his first move into the hotel market in 1975. Renowned as an innovative thinker, he has made Radisson Edwardian Hotels into one of the largest privately-owned hotel groups in the UK and operates an award-winning collection of 12 luxury four- and five-star hotels. The company has won awards for its employment practices, with merit-based career paths and a dedication to training.
Stirling School of Law moves to prestigious site
Date released: Monday 29 September 2008
Legal students and academics in Stirling are now enjoying life in one of Scotland’s most attractive settings, after the Stirling School of Law moved to Airthrey Castle, an 18th century baronial mansion in the stunning surroundings of the University of Stirling campus.
The Castle has been refurbished to a high standard by the University and provides the School with first class modernised facilities for students and staff, including staff offices, a postgraduate resource room, undergraduate and postgraduate student meeting and study rooms, and the Douglas Vick Moot Court Room.
The Moot Court Room will, in addition to providing the ideal training environment for advocacy and mooting, house library donations from Lord Penrose and Dr Doris Littlejohn CBE, who are both honorary graduates of the University.
Professor Gavin Little, former Head of the School, said: “The move to Airthrey Castle represents the final stage of the first phase of the planned development of Law as a discipline at the University. It was only nine years ago that the first degree in law - the BA in Business Law - was introduced by law staff in the then Department of Accounting and Finance.
“Since that time, Law has expanded considerably to become a School of the University and we now also offer a professionally accredited LLB, an Accelerated Graduate LLB, the BA in Law, a wide range of combined BA degree programmes, the LLM in Commercial Law, a PhD programme and the Diploma in Legal Practice.
“From Autumn 2009, we will also be providing a new LLM in Financial Services Regulation. Being based at Airthrey Castle provides us with the facilities and space needed to take the Stirling School of Law forward into its next phase of development.”
Airthrey Castle is an 18th century Adam-designed baronial mansion at the centre of the 360 acre campus. It was remodelled and extended in Victorian times, and also served as a maternity hospital before becoming part of the new University of Stirling in 1967.
Stirling researcher named in world top fifty
Date released: Tuesday 23 September 2008
A senior researcher at the University of Stirling has been named by an American magazine as one of the most influential people in the world in his field.
Professor Rory O’Neill (pictured right), who is Honorary Professor in the University’s Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, has been selected in a global list of the 50 most influential environmental health and safety leaders.
He said: “I am delighted to have this recognition, which will help to keep our work in the public eye. Occupational health and safety needs far more attention – market driven deregulatory approaches have left workers less secure and less content at work. Unless we act now to deliver better, more satisfying jobs we’ll see new epidemics of work-related heart disease, suicide and stroke.”
The survey was conducted by Occupational Hazards magazine, an American business magazine which serves the occupational safety and industrial hygiene market.
Professor O’Neill was one of the few non-Americans to be included in the list, which includes government appointees, academics, union leaders, legislators, company-based professionals, the presidents of professional associations, safety industry leaders, safety ‘gurus’ and worker advocates. Senator Edward Kennedy, a prominent proponent of stricter US labour laws, is among those also included on the list.
The editor of Occupational Hazards, Sandy Smith, said: “They all have one thing in common: through their work, their mentoring, their lecturing, their lawmaking, their research, their administration or their advocacy, they have had a strong and lasting impact on environmental health and safety in the workplace.”
Professor O’Neill, who is editor of the British magazine Hazards, has written reports on occupational cancer, older workers and health and safety, younger workers and health and safety, work looking at asthma, work-related upper limb disorders and sustainable development. He has been a labour-side expert at agencies including the International Labour Organisation.
The work of the University’s Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Research Group covers health and safety in the workplace and in the environment in a range of contexts, especially the industrial and agricultural sectors.
Links:Occupational Hazards magazine: http://ehstoday.com/mag/50_influential_ehs_leaders/
Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group: http://www.nm.stir.ac.uk/research/occupational.php
Inverness hosts healthcare conference
Date released: Wednesday 15 September 2008
Healthcare and education professionals are meeting in Inverness this month to discuss developments in clinical skills education in Scotland. The Scottish Clinical Skills Network (SCSN) 8th annual conference will be at the Centre for Health Science in Inverness on 25 and 26 September. Entitled 'No Boundaries, Access to Clinical Skills Education’, the conference will explore how best to deliver clinical skills education to both remote and rural populations, whilst also exploiting to best advantage, new technologies such as e-learning applications. Speakers include national and internationally renowned speakers.
The conference is being organised by Fiona Fraser esearch Fellow at the University of Stirling, who is based at the University’s Highland Campus in the Centre for Health Science, Inverness. She said: “We are inviting leaders from all stakeholder organisations and leaders of skills education in Scotland to join us at this event, to showcase both the Centre for Health Science and the potential in clinical skills education.”
The Scottish Clinical Skills Network (SCSN) was established in 2001 with support from NHS Education for Scotland. SCSN is a multi-professional network which is committed to ensuring educational standards of skills practice across the healthcare professions. It currently has a membership of over 100 individuals, drawn from healthcare professionals in Scotland interested in the education and training of high quality clinical skills. The SCSN is committed to ensuring standards of safe practice in healthcare through clinical skills education and training. Itsmission statement is: “The Network brings together healthcare professionals with interests and responsibilities in the education and training of clinicalskills.”
Fiona added: “Clinical skills education focuses on providing safe and supported opportunities for rehearsing clinical activities in the safety of simulated environments. As with other areas of life, rehearsal leads to improved confidence and ability. Students and qualified staff can rehearse procedural aspects of care as well as communication skills and more complex decision making in acute care.
“With health care being delivered at a faster pace than ever before, such opportunities are required to enhance existing curricular and professional modes of education. Students can then make the most of clinical placement opportunities and qualified staff can be supported with the new challenges which continue to present themselves.
“I have been involved with the SCSN for a number of years. The mission of the SCSN is mirrored by the ethos of the Highland Clinical Skills Centre, with key stakeholder organizations combining resources and expertise at the new clinical skills floor in Inverness.
“Hosting the 8th annual SCSN conference is an ideal opportunity to showcase the potential that the Highland Clinical Skills Centre offers. The Centre for Health Science lends itself to events management, so delegates can look forward to an exciting programme in great surroundings.”
The stakeholders in the Highland Clinical Skills development at the centre are NHS Highland, the University of Stirling (Nursing and Midwifery), University of Aberdeen (Undergraduate Medicine), NES Dental, NES Postgraduate Medicine.
The full conference programme can be viewed at www.scsn.scot.nhs.uk
For enquiries and information, email: fiona.fraser@stir.ac.uk
Stirling has high student satisfaction
Date released: Thursday 11 September 2008
Stirling’s students have given their University a ringing endorsement in a national survey that measures satisfaction with their course.
The University earned high marks in the National Student Survey, which asks final year students to gauge their satisfaction on criteria which range from teaching to IT.
In answer to the key question whether they were satisfied with the overall quality of their course; a resounding 86 per cent* said they were. It is a mark that places Stirling in third place in Scotland, well ahead of the UK average score of 82 per cent.
Professor Christine Hallett, Principal of the University of Stirling, said: “This is the first year that we, along with several other Scottish universities, have taken part in the National Student Survey, and it is gratifying to have the results confirm that students really do enjoy their time at Stirling.
“As an independent survey, it is a very useful barometer of how well we are doing, and while we can take pleasure in the positives, we always want to do better and the survey also identifies areas where we could improve.”
The National Student Survey is targeted mostly at final year undergraduates and provides students with an opportunity to make their opinions on their higher education student experience count at a national level. The results are analysed and used to compile a year on year comparison of data which helps prospective students make informed choices of where and what to study, and enables the participating institutions to identify and improve in areas where they may have let their students down.
The National Student Survey results are published today on www.unistats.com.
Notes
* Students answered ‘mostly agree’ or ‘definitely agree’ to the question ‘Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course’.
All Scottish universities achieved results above the UK average, as follows:
St Andrews 93
Aberdeen 91
Stirling 86
Glasgow 86
Glasgow Caledonian 85
Heriot-Watt 85
Strathclyde 85
Dundee 84
Edinburgh 83
Welcome to the new semester at the University of Stirling
Date released: Wednesday 10 September 2008 
The population of Stirling will rise dramatically over the next week as nine thousand students are welcomed for the new academic year at the University of Stirling.
Among the huge influx are over 2,500 new students, with most of the first year undergraduates arriving on Saturday 13 September. A packed timetable of events will help the newcomers settle in to life on campus, with induction for the students (and their parents!) as Freshers’ Week gets under way.
About 25 per cent of them are coming from overseas, representing about 80 countries. The University offers students arriving from abroad the option of being collected from the airport, as it can be quite daunting to arrive in a foreign country for the first time, and we do everything we can to help them adjust to their new surroundings.
In total, about 9,000 students and 2,000 staff make up the term-time population of the University of Stirling, so there is a major – and beneficial - impact on the city.
It has been a hectic few weeks in the Undergraduate Admissions Office following the publication of all the various examination results. ‘New Student’ packs were sent to the successful candidates and at the same time as we were confirming our students, we had entered the Clearing process.
Clearing gives potential students who are not placed (or wish to change courses) an opportunity of contacting Universities who have places. We had a Clearing Operations room set up and for a few days the phones rang off the hook, a hectic time. However, it should be remembered that it is not only full-time undergraduate students which we have to be sorting at this time of year. We have 450 nursing students to get in, not to mention all the other part-time, continuing professional development courses which we admit to. In total, we admit about 2000 undergraduate students.
The Postgraduate Admissions Office has also been very busy with last minute applications, support letters for visa applications, and confirming that applicants have now met conditions as they graduate from first degrees or achieve the required English Language level. With the expected success of over 100 of our students on the ‘English for University Studies’ programme we expect to welcome 800-850 new postgraduate students.
We also have around 160 students on the Study Abroad Programme coming for the autumn semester, either on an international exchange or as an integral part of their degree programme overseas. They are coming from far and wide: USA, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan and across the European Union.
And while much of the immediate focus is on this week’s arrivals, the University is already looking far ahead. The undergraduate and postgraduate prospectuses for 2009 have been published, and the University is holding Open Days on Wednesday 24 September and Saturday 4 October.
These are days when school pupils, college students, parents, teachers, careers advisers and anyone else interested in studying at the University of Stirling are welcome to come and visit. We hold tours of the campus, offer presentations, talks and displays. A range of information desks are also available where you can speak to University staff, academics, and current students.
Our student recruitment staff travel widely throughout Scotland and abroad – indeed, they are currently in India and Kazakhstan - to visit schools and also attend a number of Higher Education conventions to give talks to 5th and 6th year pupils.
Follow this link for useful induction information for new students: http://www.induction.stir.ac.uk/
Stirling swimmer set for Paralympic challenge
Date released: Wednesday 10 September 2008 
Charlotte Henshaw, a swimming scholar at the University of Stirling, is aiming for Paralympic glory this week in Beijing. Charlotte, who swims the 100 metre breaststroke in the SB6 disability category, has her heat on Friday morning, with the final taking place later that day if she is successful.
The current Female Disability Swimmer of the Year, she recently took silver at the 2008 British Swimming Championships and in doing so she set not only a personal best, but also a time that puts her at number three in the world rankings in her event.
Originally from Mansfield, where she has been a member of the Nova Centurion Swimming Club for more than ten years, 21-year-old Charlotte is currently studying Psychology and Sports Studies at Stirling and trains in the National Swimming Centre under the guidance of British Disability Swimming Coach, Anthony Strickland.
You can follow her progress and results in the swimming section on the official Paralympics website:
results.beijing2008.cn/WRMP/ENG/Schedule/SW_2008-09-12.shtml
RESULT UPDATE - 12 September
Charlotte just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the final. She qualified from her heat in second place, and started excellently in the final, going into the 50 metre turn in third place; but she was overtaken on the home straight and missed a medal by just over a second with a time of 1 minute 45.28 seconds. The race was won by Great Britain's Elizabeth Johnson.
Research calls for tougher tobacco control to protect the young
Date released: Tuesday 9 September 2008
New research from the University of Stirling has revealed that the more cigarette brands young people can name, the more likely they are to smoke. In fact, for every cigarette brand a young person can recall having seen at the point of sale their chance of smoking increases by 35 per cent.
This has led to calls for stronger tobacco control legislation to protect young people, in Cancer Research UK’s response to the Government consultation on the future of tobacco control.
The charity believes that three measures - removing tobacco products from sight at the point of sale, removing cigarette vending machines and making plain packaging compulsory for tobacco products - should be adopted as part of a broader national tobacco control strategy.
Professor Gerard Hastings, director of social marketing at the University of Stirling, said: “We know that the younger you are when you start smoking the harder it is to quit. Our research shows that the point of sale displays allow tobacco companies to package and market cigarettes with powerful brand imagery to entice new smokers. This turns the pack, or ‘silent salesman’, into a small advertisement and the wall of cigarettes into a big one. Children are still being exploited and ultimately, they will only be truly protected when tobacco promotion and marketing in all its forms ceases to exist.”
More than 80 per cent of smokers start before the age of 19 and half of all long-term smokers will die of cancer or other smoking-related diseases. Around 22 per cent of the population currently smoke so new measures are needed to help reduce this figure and build on the success of last year’s smoke-free legislation.
The prime location of point of sale displays still offer tobacco companies a key opportunity to promote the packs and the product. Beginning in 2003 most forms of tobacco advertising and promotion have been prohibited across the UK but this has not included restrictions on point of sale displays or on pack design. In response, the tobacco industry has continued to develop displays in shops by using lighting, brand specific colours on surrounding areas and attention-grabbing designs as well as making the packs themselves even more enticing. These loopholes are having a dramatic impact on young people.
The tobacco industry claims that smokers need these displays to help choose their brand of cigarettes and that they are not designed to attract new smokers. However, Cancer Research UK evidence shows that only 6 per cent of smokers decide on which product to buy based on these displays. The overwhelming majority of smokers always buy the same brand.
The University report also shows that tobacco related products - roll your own papers, lighters and matches - make use of a variety of marketing techniques that are prohibited for the marketing of tobacco. The techniques are increasingly targeted, directly or indirectly, at young people.
Scotland currently leads the UK with plans to introduce legislation in the coming year to remove the display of tobacco products at point of sale. This current consultation is for England but these measures to protect young people could also be introduced in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Jean King, Cancer Research UK’s director of tobacco control, said: “We’ve come a long way - introducing smokefree laws and making it illegal to sell cigarettes to under 18s - but the job isn’t done. The evidence is clear and strong support from the public is there – we need to put tobacco out of sight and out of mind to protect all young people. The Government has the opportunity to act with conviction and further reduce the devastating impact that tobacco has on so many lives.”
