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ASH Daily News

13 December 2000

Headlines
'Tough tobacco warnings approved'
Smokers' cancer risk 'cut by coffee'
'PM asked to back smoking code bid'
'UMIST blasted over cig firm'
'Charities fume over tobacco funding'
'SmithKline and Glaxo near merger go-ahead'
Rugby to get new sponsorship deal
'Lottery money supports smoking cessation initiative
Pharmacia to launch new advertising campaign

Full Text

'Tough tobacco warnings approved'

BBC News Online reports, 'The European Parliament has approved controversial
legislation to force the tobacco industry to print graphic health warnings
on Europe's cigarette packs. The warnings would cover at least 30% of the
front of each pack and 40% of the back. In addition, national governments
would be given the power to order the inclusion of shocking colour
photographs showing the possible consequences of smoking, like rotting teeth
and diseased lungs. The proposals will now be put before European health
ministers, who will consider them at talks in Brussels on Thursday.
Ministers have already rejected the use of graphic pictures of the effects
of smoking as going a step too far. However, the tobacco industry has
campaigned intensively against the plans.'

The article quotes, Euro MP Catherine Stihler, Labour's Health Spokeswoman,
said: "If the size of the health warning directly reflected the risk to
health, the label would cover the whole cigarette pack."

Source: BBC News Online, The Times Online, 13 November 2000
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1067000/1067683.stm
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,50753,00.html

Smokers' cancer risk 'cut by coffee'

The Times reports that, 'Smokers run a much greater risk than non-smokers of
contracting bladder cancer. But their chances of avoiding it are improved if
they also drink coffee. This mixed message is the result of a survey in
Spain of all cases of bladder cancer being treated in 12 general hospitals
across the country over a 12-month period - more than 500 patients in all.'

BBC News Online reports that, 'Drinking coffee may be able to cut a smoker's
chances of developing bladder cancer, according to research.
It has been long known that smokers are at risk of developing bladder
cancer, and prior to the Spanish study, coffee was also thought to increase
the risk slightly. However, the new work, detailed in the Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health, suggests that smokers may even be
reducing the damage if they consume coffee as well.'

A spokesperson for the Cancer Research Campaign - which itself is sponsoring
research into the links between diet and cancer, said that while the
research was interesting, it should be treated with caution.
Dr Mary Berrington told BBC Online: "It's a complex issue and further,
larger studies are needed. The number of non-coffee drinkers looked at here
is quite small, and there could be other things going on. The study does
though re-emphasise the important message that smoking is a major risk
factor for bladder cancer."

Source: BBC News Online, The Times, The Guardian, 13 December 2000
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1067000/1067446.stm

'PM asked to back smoking code bid'

The Publican reports that, 'The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health'
(CIEH) has written to the Prime Minister urging him to back plans for an
Approved Code of Practice on smoking in the workplace.'

Source: The Publican, 11 December 2000

'UMIST blasted over cig firm'

The Manchester Evening News reports that, 'UMIST [University of Manchester
Institute of Science and Technology] has
come under fire from the anti-smoking lobby for entering into a sponsorship
deal with British American Tobacco.

It has emerged that the university accepted a five-year £50,000 deal from
the company three years ago, to establish an MSc course in strategic
corporate communications.

British American Tobacco (BAT) is one of nine companies which agreed to
sponsor the course which starts in March. Now the Manchester university is
facing mounting criticism for accepting the BAT cash.

The article further reports that, 'Amanda Sandford, of Action on Smoking and
Health, said UMIST should reject
BAT's money, adding: 'BAT is trying to buy respectability.'
Chairman of the PR Standards Council Roger Haywood also blasted UMIST's
decision. 'There are reputable and responsible companies that would sponsor
courses and I don't see why this had to be a tobacco company,' he said.'

Source: Manchester Evening News, 13 March 2000

'Charities fume over tobacco funding'

The Times Higher Education Supplement reports further on the University of
Nottingham's decision to take BAT cash for a centre for corporate
responsibility. The article begins, 'Vice-Chancellors are at loggerheads
with cancer research chiefs after standing by Nottingham University's
decision to accept funding from the British American Tobacco company.'

The article adds, 'Gordon McVie, director general of The Cancer Research
Campaign, said he was keeping a, "watching brief" on all universities
fundraising activities following Universities UK's support of Nottingham's
acceptance of £3.8 million from BAT.' He condemned as, "clever but cynical"
the use of a single paragraph in the protocol by Nottingham Vice-Chancellor
Sir Colin Campbell to justify taking BAT cash to help to fund a new
International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility.'

Source: The Times Higher Education Supplement, 8 December 2000

'SmithKline and Glaxo near merger go-ahead'

The Guardian reports that, 'Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham have
reached a draft agreement with US competition regulators over their
long-delayed £119bn merger, putting them on track to complete the deal on
December 27.
The article adds, 'The deal, which creates the world's largest drugs
company, was due to be closed in the summer. Then the federal trade
commission raised a series of objections, the most recent concerning a
possible clash between the groups' smoking cessation products. It appeared
yesterday that the companies have convinced the commission that there is no
clash between Glaxo's anti-addiction drug, Zyban, and SmithKline's
anti-nicotine products, Nicorette and Nicoderm.'
A Glaxo spokesman said: "We do not expect any divestitures to be required in
the smoking cessation area."

Source: The Guardian, The Independent, 13 December 2000
Link:
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,410657,00.html

Rugby to get new sponsorship deal

The Daily Express reports, 'Superleague chief executive Ian Taylor is close
to clinching new sponsors after Benson & Hedges' nine-year association with
the former Autumn cup ended on Saturday. Taylor is in talks with three
interested parties.'

Source: Daily Express, 12 December 2000

'Lottery money supports smoking cessation initiative'

The Chemist and Druggist magazine reports, 'Pharmacists in Tooting, South
London, are taking part in a Healthy Living Initiative supported by £900,100
from the New Opportunities Fund, a National Lottery Distributor.'

Source: Chemist & Druggist, The Pharmaceutical Journal, 2 December 2000

Pharmacia to launch new advertising campaign

Chemist & Druggist reports that, 'Pharmacia & Upjohn will support its
Nicorette range with a £2.7 million advertising campaign aimed at people who
plan to give up smoking as a New Year's resolution. A TV commercial focusing
on Nicorette gum will commence on Boxing Day and run throughout January'.

Source: Chemist & Druggist, 2 December 2000
Karl Brookes
Action on Smoking and Health
102 Clifton Street
London
EC2A 4HW
Tel: +44 (0)20 7739 5902
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7613 0531
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