Qantas renamed ‘cancer kangaroo’
Plans by Qantas to sell cigarettes on flights have raised the ire of Australian anti-smoking groups.
AAP reports that anti-smoking lobby groups have attacked a move by Qantas to resume inflight cigarette sales as a “greedy cash grab” at the expense of good health.
Australia’s national airline has reintroduced tobacco sales on board this month, almost 10 years after they were stopped.
Legislation prohibits the packs from being advertised in the shopping catalogue but it is legal to stack them on the duty-free trolley and wheel them through the cabin.
A letter recently sent to Qantas staff by management states: “It’s vital that duty free carts are taken out into the economy cabin, with the cigarettes displayed prominently on top”.
Qantas has defended the move as a response to customer demand, but lobby groups argue it is an unacceptable return to the “bad old days”.
“At a time when Australian governments are moving to put tobacco displays out of sight to protect young people in particular, Qantas has gone backwards,” said Anne Jones, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health.
“Retail tobacco display is a powerful form of advertising, especially in association with a highly respected brand name like Qantas, and research shows it normalises and encourages young people to smoke.”
She said the group had received several complaints from air host staff concerned they have to “push tobacco as part of their job”.
Another group, Quit, joined the criticism, with executive director Fiona Sharkie labelling it a “greedy cash grab”.
“International flights are an opportunity for smokers to give up smoking, but having cheap cigarettes promoted to them by Qantas in-flight completely undermines this opportunity,” Ms Sharkie said.
“Perhaps the flying kangaroo should be renamed the cancer kangaroo, such is their insistence on the in-flight sale and display of a product that will ultimately kill more than half of long-term users.”
But Qantas Group general manager of customer product and services Lesley Grant defended the move, which she said was motivated by passenger demand.
“The availability of cigarettes reflects customer demand,” Ms Grant said.
“Regardless of what the product might be, if we see changes in demand we review our product range.”
Full service inflight shopping also was offered by Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, she said.
A Report by The Mole from AAP
John Alwyn-Jones
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