KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark says she would love to see displays of cigarettes and tobacco banned in shops.
The Cancer Society and anti-smoking lobby group ASH have called for tobacco products to be kept out of sight in all retail outlets.
The Maori and Green parties support the proposal, but National says it is up to its MPs' consciences.
Helen Clark said yesterday there would need to be support for the idea to change smokefree legislation.
"Personally I'd love to see it," she said. "I've seen the legislation improved, improved, improved over the years, and I think it is inevitable that law and regulation of tobacco control will tighten."
National's health spokesman, Tony Ryall, said reducing tobacco use was a "health goal" which the party shared, but it had "a conscience vote on those issues".
The Maori Party's spokesman on tobacco issues, Hone Harawira, said too many Maori died of tobacco-related cancer and a ban would have an effect.
"Our people want to stop smoking, but how do they do that when the law allows pushers of these highly addictive drugs to display their wares in every petrol station, every supermarket and every dairy in the country? It's got to stop."
Greens associate health spokeswoman Metiria Turei said that to protect young people from the attraction of tobacco displays, the products should be kept out of sight.
- NZPA
