Background: Action on Smoking and Health and the Cancer Society New Zealand have called for retail displays of tobacco advertising to be banned. A systematic review of literature was conducted in order to investigate the evidence that such advertising targets children and youth, and influences smoking initiation, and consumption and quit attempts in existing smokers.

Methods: Systematic search of the literature, summarising and appraisal of identified studies.

Discussion: Evidence found from the limited studies available included the following relating to smoking initiation. Australian students shown photos of shops with tobacco displays were more likely than students shown non-tobacco displays to think it would be easy to buy cigarettes. In California, a study found greater shelf space for cigarettes and more brands that youth smoke in stores where more adolescents shop. Seeing tobacco marketing in stores increases the likelihood that 13 year olds will experiment with smoking. In Norway youths were aware of tobacco displays in retail settings, and awareness was predictive of smoking.

Conclusion: There is sufficient international evidence to suggest that retail displays of tobacco target youth and promote smoking initiation, as well as the normalisation of tobacco use within society.

Implications: A ban on retail displays is justified on the basis of the risk that such displays increase smoking initiation among young people.