Immediate

ASH condemns Spanish 11th hour U-turn on tobacco advertising directive

ASH condemned the Spanish U-turn during the tobacco advertisingnegotiations.

"It’s a cynical and craven betrayal of the health of Europeanpeople linked to their attempts to sell the Spanish national tobacco company to PhilipMorris or RJ Reynolds for as much money as possible" said Clive Bates, Director ofASH - Action on Smoking and Health.

ASH warned the Spanish Health Minister and prime minister on 6th October1997 that we were aware of pressure from the tobacco industry to sabotage the directiveand that "the idea of a tobacco company buying influence in this way is utterlydisgraceful and if a government surrenders to this sort of pressure there would be outragethroughout Europe".

Attached - letter sent to Spanish Health and PrimeMinister 6th October 1997.

ENDS

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