Key Dates in the Campaign to ban Tobacco Advertising - Archive
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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.
