Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002

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Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, variant 1).svg
Long title An Act to control the advertising and promotion of tobacco products; and for connected purposes.
Citation 2002 c.36
Territorial extent  England and Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland [1]
Dates
Royal assent 7 November 2002
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 (c.36) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Contents

Legislative passage

The legislation was passed as a private member's bill. [2]

Provisons

Under this act, the advertising of tobacco products to the public is banned in the United Kingdom, except on the premises of specialist tobacconists. [3]

The act also contained an exemption for Formula 1, to be allowed to continue tobacco sponsorship until 2006. [4]

Reception

The legislation was supported by Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation. [5]

Application

In June 2025, supermarkets Morrisons and Sainsbury's were warned by the government that advertisements for heated tobacco products could be illegal under this act. The supermarkets publicly defended their advertisements by citing the definition of a “tobacco product” in the act which is "a product consisting wholly or partly of tobacco and intended to be smoked, sniffed, sucked or chewed" and claiming that heated tobacco products are outside of this definition. [6]

See also

References

  1. The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002, section 22(5)
  2. "House of Lords vetoes amendment to tobacco advertising legislation". Marketing Week. 24 January 2002. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  3. "Countdown to tobacco ad ban". BBC News. 13 February 2003. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  4. "Tobacco ads to go 'by end of year'". BBC News. 22 August 2002. Archived from the original on 28 December 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  5. "TOBACCO ADVERTISING BAN STARTS FRIDAY". Local Government Chronicle . 13 February 2003. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  6. Winchester, Levi; Farquhar, Eilidh (17 June 2025). "Sainsbury's and Morrisons issued warning to make urgent change to stores". Daily Record. Retrieved 18 June 2025.