Responding to the announcement of a government consultation into the possibility of banning cigarette displays in stores, Progressive Vision, the classical liberal think tank, has said that such a ban would be petty, pointless and patronising.  

Mark Littlewood, communications director of Progressive Vision, said; 

“Cigarettes are a product for adults and sensible steps need to be taken to prevent youngsters buying them. 

“But banning the display of cigarettes and vending machines would be petty, pointless and patronising. It won’t prevent a single young person from taking up smoking, and would put retailers and adult smokers to considerable inconvenience. 

“These sorts of ideas are typical of a government who seem hell bent on intervening in every single aspect of our lives, however trivial.”