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ASH Daily News

1 November 2004

HEADLINES

Tobacco lobby targeted Blair as "smoker friendly"
Reid to ban smoking throughout the NHS?
EU tries to clear the air
USA: Tobacco and North Carolina's Senate race
Australia: Smoking in public banned
Smuggling clampdown continues
Big jump in quit figures



FULL TEXT

Tobacco lobby targeted Blair as "smoker friendly"

Tony Blair was identified by the tobacco lobby as a possible ally more
than a decade ago, according to secret documents.

The revelations are made in the Observer and follow on from recent
reports that the Prime Minister and some of his key allies, including
Stephen Byers, met with tobacco lobbyists from BAT. At the time tobacco
giant was being investigated over claims that it was colluding with
smuggling.

The Observer reported that in 1991 the Prime Minister (then an MP) was
included on a list of politicians, journalists and other key opinion
formers seen as "friendly" towards the Tobacco Advisory Council (TAC).
The TAC (now the TMA - Tobacco Manufacturers Association) is a
pan-industry group that represents the interests of cigarette firms.
They set up the pro-smoking pressure group forest.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "This list was put together by a
lobbying firm to impress its clients. We know of no evidence that the
Prime Minister has ever taken an interest in this issue."

The document of "friendly" MPs was buried in the archives of BAT's
library in Guildford, Surrey. Ian Willmore of ASH said the Prime
Minister's inclusion on the list was worrying: "There are some deeply
disturbing names on this list. These lobbyists know their business. They
don't put contacts on names without reason. It would be interesting to
find out what the reason was for Mr Blair."

Source: Observer, 31 October 2004
Article link:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1340298,00.html


Reid to ban smoking throughout the NHS?

There is speculation in the Independent that smoking will be banned
throughout the NHS as part of the Government's initiative to improve
public health across the country.

Apparently, Ministers have decided that the sight of nurses, doctors and
patients lighting up outside hospitals is unacceptable. It is believed
that Health Secretary John Reid will announce the proposals when he
publishes the Government's White Paper on public health later this
month.

Smoke-free campaigners said the move was long overdue: "It sends out
completely the wrong message for the NHS to allow people to stand
outside the front door of hospitals smoking while people are coming in
with heart attacks and other illnesses caused by smoking", said Ian
Willmore of ASH.

Source: Independent, 1 November 2004
Article link:
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/story.jsp?story=578087


EU tries to clear the air

The International Herald Tribune casts an eye over the European Union's
current initiative to reduce smoking - graphic images of diseased lungs,
tumours and other smoking related ailments.

The paper reports that despite the European Commissioner's eagerness to
curb smoking and tobacco-related advertising, the experience of member
states has been mixed.

In Britain and Germany, policy makers' widely differing responses to
previous EU measures illustrate the range of opinion on smoking and the
business of tobacco. The British government has stopped short of an
all-out New York style ban, whilst broadly upholding a 2003 directive
that outlaws tobacco advertising in the media. Germany by contrast is
appealing the 2003 directive on the grounds that the European Commission
has overstepped its authority.

Source: International Herald Tribune, 1 November 2004
Article link:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/10/31/business/adcol01.html


USA: Tobacco and North Carolina's Senate race

The backdrop to the colourful drama of North Carolina's Senate election
is detailed in the Economist.

The race is for the seat of would-be Vice President John Edwards, and is
being fought between Republican Richard Burr and Democrat Erskine
Bowles.

The contestants' fortunes appears to hinge on the eastern part of the
state - home to declining industries such as manufacturing and tobacco
and plenty of socially conservative Democrats.

If Burr emerges victorious in the eastern part of the state, it may well
be down to Bowles' past ties with his ex-boss Bill Clinton. It is
suggested that Mr Clinton's moral failings and his "war" against the
tobacco industry have not helped the Democrat candidate.

Both candidates claim the other is weak (i.e., not protectionist enough)
on trade. They are also trying to outbid each other over the "tobacco
buy-out", recently passed by Congress. Under the arrangement both actual
and potential tobacco farmers receive a $10 billion windfall when an
unpopular and out-dated price-support system for the crop is removed.

Source: The Economist (UK), 30 October 2004


Australia: Smoking in public banned

Australia has become the latest country to ban smoking in public places.
It will be outlawed in most of the country by 2007.

There are already restrictions in place in restaurants and shopping
centres and only the Northern Territory is refusing to fall into line.
The first curbs will be introduced in New South Wales at the start of
next year. Sydney's city council is waiting for a report before deciding
whether to ban smoking in parks.

Source: Daily Telegraph, 30 October 2004


Smuggling clampdown continues

Customs and Excise has once again denied it has been handing out
"disproportionate penalties" to cross-Channel shoppers, despite the
European Commission announcing it will take the UK government to court
over the issue.

UK officials said no changes will be made to the policy of seizing
"excessive" imports of tobacco and alcohol. They were adamant that any
court action, which it hopes to avoid, will not make it easier for
smugglers.

Customs are eager to stress that its indicative levels of 3,200
cigarette and 3kg of hand-rolling tobacco were up to three times more
generous than those in other European countries.

Latest figures reveal that approximately two dozen vehicles are
permanently seized out of the 14 million that cross the Channel
annually.

Source: Retail News, 29 October 2004


Big jump in quit figures

The number of people giving up smoking with the help of the NHS rose
significantly, the Government announced.

Department of Health figures show that in 2003-4 a total of 204,900
smokers in England gave up for at least four weeks. That is up 65
percent on the 124,000 who successfully quit the previous year using the
NHS Stop Smoking services.

Source: Daily Mirror, (30) PA (29) October, 2004

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Harold Wilson
ASH
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
http://www.ash.org.uk
Tel: 020 7739 5902