Key Dates in the Campaign to ban Tobacco Advertising - Archive
Access the current page here
The ASH Archive contains information that is no longer current but is useful reference material. The information is held in a separate archive of each page.
Documents in the Archives can be accessed by a link on each page or by the ASH Archives page or by using the advanced search.
For details on Use/Copyright please read the ASH Archives page.
Dec - 2002
The Council of Health Ministers votes to accept the text of the European Directive on tobacco advertising. The directive requires member states to implement the law by 2005. This includes the phasing out of tobacco sponsorship of sport.
Oct/Nov - 2002
The Advertising bill is passed by Parliament and receives Royal Assent.
Aug - 2002
The Government publishes regulations to implement key components of the tobacco advertising bill and confirms its intention to complete passage of the bill through the Commons before the end of the year.
March - 2002
The tobacco advertising bill completes its passage through the Lords. The government gives the bill its formal backing.
July - 2001
Following the failure of the Government to re-introduce the bill to ban tobacco advertising, the Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Clement-Jones, introduces an identical bill in the House of Lords.
June - 2001
Labour wins General Election but the bill to ban tobacco advertising is not included in the Queen's Speech.
May - 2001
General Election called. Tobacco Advertising Bill is lost through lack of Parliamentary time. Labour Party promise to re-introduce Bill if they win election. Promise is included in Party Manifesto.
Jan - 2001
UK Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill introduced in House of Commons
Oct - 2000
UK Government include Bill to ban all tobacco advertising and sponsorship in the Queen’s Speech.
Oct - 1999
German Government and tobacco industry challenge the EU Directive in the European Court on the validity of its legal basis. Challenge is successful and directive is annulled.
June - 1998
EU Advertising Directive – banning all tobacco advertising and sponsorship in the EU - is formally adopted.
May - 1997
Labour wins General Election and pledges to ban tobacco advertising.
May - 1996
A MORI survey of childrens’ beliefs about tobacco advertising shows that two-thirds of teenagers identified a link between cigarette advertising and sport.
Jan - 1996
Advertisements for Hamlet cigars are shown in UK cinemas, after a seven-year absence. The ads take advantage of a loophole in the voluntary agreement which only bans ads for cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco.
May - 1994
Kevin Barron's Private Member's Bill to ban tobacco advertising fails at its Report Stage in the House of Commons on 13 May. 108 amendments and 5 new clauses are tabled, a tactic which ensures that the Bill runs out of time.
Feb - 1994
On 11 February the House of Commons gives an unopposed Second Reading to Kevin Barron's Private Members' Bill to ban tobacco advertising after a procedural vote is carried by 227 votes to 17.
Dec - 1993
Labour MP for Rother Valley, Kevin Barron, announced that he would introduce a Private Members' Bill to ban tobacco advertising. The First Reading was on 16 December.
Feb - 1992
MEPs in the European Parliament vote in favour of banning tobacco advertising.
Oct - 1991
EC directive making tobacco advertising on television illegal comes into force.
April - 1989
The EC announces its intention to introduce legislation throughout Europe restricting tobacco advertising and promotion.
Aug - 1987
A survey of tobacco-sponsored sport on television shows that the industry receives the equivalent of 700 30-second commercials a year, 99% of it on the BBC.
Feb - 1987
Independent Television ceases transmission of all tobacco-sponsored sports events.
Jan - 1987
The Government signs a new voluntary agreement with the tobacco industry on sports sponsorship.
Mar - 1986
Announcement of the new voluntary agreement on tobacco advertising and promotion. A ban on tobacco advertising in cinemas. Tobacco advertising in certain women's magazines with 200,000 readers, at least a third of whom are aged 16-24 is banned and so is advertising for brands with a tar level of 18mg and above.
Feb - 1986
For the first time, the Sports Council declares that it is opposed to the sponsorship of sport by the tobacco industry.
Dec - 1984
Roger Sims MP presents a Bill to ban tobacco sponsorship of sporting events.
July - 1983
Laurie Pavitt MP presents a Bill asking for all tobacco advertising to be banned.
Oct - 1982
The Government announces a new voluntary agreement with the tobacco industry to regulate advertising and promotion. Advertising materials at point-of-sale and over a certain size will have to carry a health warning and video cassettes will not be allowed to carry cigarette advertising.
Jan - 1979
Laurie Pavitt MP presents a Private Member’s Bill, supported by ASH, to legislate against tobacco advertising and promotion.
1978
The Independent Broadcasting Authority publishes a Code of Advertising Standards which regulates all commercial TV and radio broadcasting. Cigarettes and cigarette tobacco are deemed "unacceptable products" not to be advertised on commercial radio.
1975
In response to the government's 1974 proposals, the industry agreed to: withdraw advertising from U certificate cinema programmes; to end the advertising of free samples; to allow the Code of Advertising Practice of cigarettes to be taken out of the hands of the industry and to be monitored by the Advertising Standards Authority; to place tar groupings on packs and advertising. Imperial Tobacco, which then controlled two-thirds of the UK market, agreed unilaterally to remove brand names and logos from racing cars taking part in UK races.
1974
Dr David Owen, Minister for Health, announced in Parliament that he had asked the industry to agree to: allocate some of its advertising budget to health education; abolish cigarette advertising in the cinema; print tar group descriptions on packs and advertisements; use a stronger and more prominent health warning; abolish coupon schemes; and consider curbing tobacco sponsorship of sport. The industry later rejected most of these requests.
1972
132 MPs voted in favour of a ban on cigarette advertising, 73 against. In an extension of the existing voluntary agreement, the industry agreed to: cover up specific brand advertisements at televised sporting events; ensure that all brand ads at sports events carried a health warning; ensure that cinema cigarette advertisements, and those sent through the post, carried a reference to the health warning.
1971
First voluntary agreement between the tobacco industry and the government drawn up. Its provisions included: all cigarette packs for sale in the UK should carry the words "Warning by HM Government: Smoking can damage your health"; all press and poster ads were to carry the reference: "Every pack carries a Government health warning"; and the industry agreed to establish a scientific liaison committee consisting of industry and DHSS-nominated scientists to explore less dangerous forms of smoking and to devise a way of measuring tar/nicotine levels.
1969
The Radio Times implemented its own ban on cigarette advertising.
1965
Government bans cigarette advertisements on television.
1962
The Tobacco Advisory Committee (TAC) which represents the interests of the tobacco industry - agreed to implement a code of advertising practice for cigarettes which was intended to take some of the glamour out of cigarette advertisements.
