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ASH Daily News

Friday 12 November 1999

Headlines
Tobacco sweets causing rise in oral cancer in children
“The Insider” wins positive review
TMA welcomes commentary on ad ban suspension
Clarification re: voluntary agreement
Virgin to take over angling sponsorship


Full Text

Tobacco sweets causing rise in oral cancer in children

A rise in oral cancer among children is being blamed on chewing
tobacco which is being sold in brightly coloured sweet-style packs.
The foil packets from Asia sell for as little as 20p a time and some
even have children’s faces on the front. Khalid Anees, an oral health
lecturer at University College, London, said researchers had found
tobacco sweets being sold to young people across Britain. Dr Anees
said: “We have got a massive array of samples from shops around the
country. This is a habit we had hoped would die out with the elderly
population but children are taking it up. We could be left with an
epidemic.” The packets contain ground tobacco, often mixed with other
ingredients including betel nuts. Some are sweetened and perfumed,
with one type tasting of chocolate. While chewing tobacco is largely
confined to the Asian community, Dr Anees believes children are
sharing the product with friends and the problem is spreading.
Labour MP Clare Ward who has bought packets in her Watford
constituency, has written to the Department of Health, urging an
immediate ban.

Source: The Guardian, 12/11/99


“The Insider” wins positive review

The Daily Mail has a glowing review of “The Insider”, the film about
the tobacco whistle-blower, Jeffrey Wigand. The film is being a
special screening at the London film festival on Sunday but will not
be on general release until next March.

Source: Daily Mail, 12/11/99


TMA welcomes commentary on ad ban suspension

Chris Ogden of the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association, has a letter in
Campaign, welcoming the journal’s “balanced” editorial on the
suspension of the tobacco advertising ban. He says that “elsewhere,
ideology based on prejudice and intolerance fuelled by anti-smoking
rhetoric, does not make for easy dialogue. This is why the tobacco
manufacturers have had to resort to the law to determine the issue of
free speech.”

Source: Campaign, 12/11/99


Clarification re: voluntary agreement

John Carlisle of the TMA has a letter in Marketing Week, clarifying
the TMA’s position regarding continuation of the voluntary agreement
on tobacco advertising. Marketing Week had reported that the industry
had “rejected pleas to revive the agreement”. According to Carlisle,
the industry will continue to comply with the current voluntary
agreement and is willing to extend the terms to “certain types of
promotion and advertising in specified media” if the Government
“wishes to discuss the proposal further”.

Source: Marketing Week, 11/11/99


Virgin to take over angling sponsorship

According to The Sun, Richard Branson plans to save angling’s top
contest by taking over the funding when the current tobacco
sponsorships expire. The five divisions of the National Championships
are currently sponsored by Embassy to the tune of £50,000.

Source: The Sun, 12/11/99


Karl Brookes
Project Manager
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