§ Mr. MansTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will seek to ban the sale of tobacco products for oral use; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe Department has written today to a number of companies that manufacture tobacco products for oral use, their representative organisations and other interested parties to inform them that, pursuant to section 11(5) of the Consumer Protection Act, the Government propose to make safety regulations under section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 to prohibit persons from supplying or from offering to supply, agreeing to supply, exposing for supply or possessing for supply, certain oral tobacco products. The Government are concerned that the use of such products is causally associated with an increased risk of oral cancer. Bodies whose interests are affected are asked to make representations on the Government's proposals by 26 May 1988. The products we are considering are fine cut, ground or particulate tobacco products prepared, sold or advertised for oral use other than smoking or chewing. This does not include traditional solid chewing tobacco, loose tobacco for making up into cigarettes or snuff for nasal use. We are primarily concerned with products used in the mouth, often in a moist form held between the cheek and the gum, which can give rise to cancer of the mouth.