ASH Daily News for 13/01/2003
HEADLINES
ASH, 102 Clifton Street, LONDON, EC2A 4HW.
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531
ASH Daily News
11 - 13 January 2003
HEADLINES
Counterfeit cigarettes ‘flooding into UK’
Cross Channel shopping and UK tax loss
Tobacco firms and FA TV deals
FULL TEXT
Counterfeit cigarettes ‘flooding into UK’
The News of the World and Daily Star on Sunday report that millions of fake
cigarettes - some containing wood chips, sand and plastic - are “flooding”
into the UK. The Sunday Star also claims that the counterfeit cigarettes
are linked to the funding of terrorist cells. The fake cigarettes, which
look identical to UK-manufactured brands, are typically sold at up to half
the price of legal brands by vendors on street corners in markets and high
streets. US intelligence agencies have warned that factories producing
counterfeit cigarettes in the Middle East have been set up to fund al-Qaida
groups. John Anderson, director general of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group
warned: “It might look lie a bargain but ultimately we all pay the price if
we continue to allow terrorists to fund their operations through
counterfeiting.”
The issue is to be subject of a BBC programme - “Crooked Britain - Smoke
Rings” to be shown on BBC2 at 9pm on Tuesday.
Source: The News of the World, Daily Star on Sunday, 12 January 2003
Cross Channel shopping and UK tax loss
The Express on Sunday and Mail on Sunday report that a drop in excise
revenue may mean that the Chancellor will have to raise taxes in the
forthcoming Budget. The papers claim that the relaxing of the limits on the
amount of tobacco and alcohol shoppers can legitimately bring into the UK
has not stemmed the enormous losses from smuggling. Before the limits were
raised, Britian was losing more than a billion pounds in revenue from
tobacco bought abroad.
Source: The Express on Sunday, Mail on Sunday, 12 January 2003
Tobacco firms and FA TV deals
The Star reports that the Premier League may have to play a game of scruples
when they enter discussions for the renewal of overseas TV rights.
With an estimated global audience of a billion, Premiership football has
become a huge commodity since the last time the rights were up for tender.
With such a huge following, especially in the far east, the over seas rights
are a potential goldmine for English football.
But with a ban on tobacco ads in Formula One from 2006, tobacco firms would
be keen to plug their products in ad breaks during English games screened
overseas.
Summing up the dilemma, Premier League spokesman Phil French said “British
American Tobacco exploited our image to advertise overseas after our rights
were subcontracted. We had to move very quickly to stop them.
Hypothetically, tobacco advertising could boost incomes, but there could be
an enormous backlash.”
Source: The Star, 11 January 2003
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----------------------------------
Naj Dehlavi
Action on Smoking and Health
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
http://www.ash.org.uk
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531
ASH Daily News
11 - 13 January 2003
HEADLINES
Counterfeit cigarettes ‘flooding into UK’
Cross Channel shopping and UK tax loss
Tobacco firms and FA TV deals
FULL TEXT
Counterfeit cigarettes ‘flooding into UK’
The News of the World and Daily Star on Sunday report that millions of fake
cigarettes - some containing wood chips, sand and plastic - are “flooding”
into the UK. The Sunday Star also claims that the counterfeit cigarettes
are linked to the funding of terrorist cells. The fake cigarettes, which
look identical to UK-manufactured brands, are typically sold at up to half
the price of legal brands by vendors on street corners in markets and high
streets. US intelligence agencies have warned that factories producing
counterfeit cigarettes in the Middle East have been set up to fund al-Qaida
groups. John Anderson, director general of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group
warned: “It might look lie a bargain but ultimately we all pay the price if
we continue to allow terrorists to fund their operations through
counterfeiting.”
The issue is to be subject of a BBC programme - “Crooked Britain - Smoke
Rings” to be shown on BBC2 at 9pm on Tuesday.
Source: The News of the World, Daily Star on Sunday, 12 January 2003
Cross Channel shopping and UK tax loss
The Express on Sunday and Mail on Sunday report that a drop in excise
revenue may mean that the Chancellor will have to raise taxes in the
forthcoming Budget. The papers claim that the relaxing of the limits on the
amount of tobacco and alcohol shoppers can legitimately bring into the UK
has not stemmed the enormous losses from smuggling. Before the limits were
raised, Britian was losing more than a billion pounds in revenue from
tobacco bought abroad.
Source: The Express on Sunday, Mail on Sunday, 12 January 2003
Tobacco firms and FA TV deals
The Star reports that the Premier League may have to play a game of scruples
when they enter discussions for the renewal of overseas TV rights.
With an estimated global audience of a billion, Premiership football has
become a huge commodity since the last time the rights were up for tender.
With such a huge following, especially in the far east, the over seas rights
are a potential goldmine for English football.
But with a ban on tobacco ads in Formula One from 2006, tobacco firms would
be keen to plug their products in ad breaks during English games screened
overseas.
Summing up the dilemma, Premier League spokesman Phil French said “British
American Tobacco exploited our image to advertise overseas after our rights
were subcontracted. We had to move very quickly to stop them.
Hypothetically, tobacco advertising could boost incomes, but there could be
an enormous backlash.”
Source: The Star, 11 January 2003
----------------------------------
Unsubscribe:
Public subscribers: http://www.ash.org.uk/html/about/subscribe.php
<http://www.ash.org.uk/html/about/subscribe.php>
Globalink members: <http://member.globalink.org>
----------------------------------
Naj Dehlavi
Action on Smoking and Health
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
http://www.ash.org.uk
