4 Tobacco Tips From the 2017 NACS Show
By Angel Abcede on Oct. 24, 2017CHICAGO-- Issues around tobacco regulation emerged during several workshops at the NACS Show this month, with discussion dominated by talking points—or a bulleted list of any side’s strongest arguments—and building relationships with key legislators.
The topic even took an unusual twist with a trade-show booth devoted to the question of what tobacco-packaging regulations would look like on sugary drinks, energy shots or chocolate.
Click through for four insights into regulation from workshops and trade-show exhibitors at the NACS Show in Chicago ...
1. The fight goes local
Whether the issue is tobacco legislation or taxes on sugary drinks, those advocating for new rules or outright bans often go to the place of least resistance, said Tom Robinson, president of Robinson Oil, Santa Clara, Calif. Speaking at a session called, “Sticking It to the Local Man: All Politics is Local,” Robinson said most groups want a federal law. When they can’t get one, they turn to the states. From there, they drop to local municipalities.
“It’s a great strategy for a lot of interest groups,” Robinson said, explaining that local lawmakers are easier to persuade than those at the state or federal level. “Local [government] is fertile field to go after.”
2. Focus on responsible retailing
Advocating against menthol bans can be tricky for retailers, according to Paige Anderson, director of government relations for NACS. Retailers could be advocating for their businesses alongside parents and teens arguing health concerns.
Speaking at an educational session called “Taking It to the Streets: Using Your Organization’s Size and Strength to Advocate for Your Business,” Anderson said a major talking point is how the channel is a key link in the chain of responsible retailing. “We’re on the forefront of age verification,” Anderson said. “We do more than the TSA [Transportation Security Administration].”
3. Could plain packaging go past tobacco?
In an unusual take for a booth exhibit at the NACS Show, JTI, Teaneck, N.J., had no tobacco products on display. The carnival-themed booth was meant to show how tobacco regulations in many countries essentially strip the branding messages on products. With such “plain packaging” regulations, tobacco products must be generically labeled, have typeface in a simple font and include a graphic photo of an unhealthy outcome.
At the booth, soda, energy drinks and chocolate bars were all repackaged to reflect such restrictions. Individual soda bottles were packaged with a photo of an obese individual, energy drinks with a person’s blackened toes from a bad reaction and chocolate bars with decaying teeth. Bryan Jones, vice president of corporate affairs and communications for JTI, says health organizations around the world are operating on accepted, common language that may extend such tobacco regulation to other products.
4. Marijuana vs. menthol
When asked about how California lawmakers can ban menthol cigarettes on one hand, while approving recreational marijuana on the other, Ryan Hanretty, executive director of the California Independent Oil Marketers Association (CIOMA), Sacramento, Calif., called his state “crazy town,” referring to what he considered incongruous laws. In the session with Robinson of Robinson Oil, Hanretty said ongoing discussions with lawmakers will address “the elephant in the room” of marijuana vs. menthol.
Adding to the conversation, Robinson said, “People need to be called out on their inconsistencies. Why would you allow [marijuana], but not allow [menthol]?”