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ASH Daily News

14 October 2003

HEADLINES

'Lights' just as bad, says Marlboro firm
McTear vs. Imperial
Analysis: Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer
Smuggler arrested after kicking up a stink


FULL TEXT

'Lights' just as bad, says Marlboro firm

The maker of Marlboro cigarettes has admitted so-called "light" cigarettes are no less harmful than any others in a major newspaper advertising campaign aimed at improving its image in the face of the growing threat of lawsuits against the tobacco industry.

Philip Morris this weekend took the unprecedented step of placing ads in all the major national newspapers detailing the problems of youth smoking and low-tar cigarettes.

In one advert the company admitted there was no evidence that switching to cigarettes with reduced levels of tar or nicotine offered any "significant health benefits".

"You should not assume that lower tar cigarettes are less harmful or that smoking this kind of cigarette will help you quit," it read. . . .

"No one wants kids to smoke, including us. We know it might be difficult to accept that a tobacco company holds this view. After all, many people believe that if kids don't smoke, our business could eventually disappear," it said. . .

Research carried out in the US, where Philip Morris has run similar TV campaigns aimed at young people, showed teenagers who had watched the ads were actually more likely to believe the tobacco industry should be allowed to stay in business.

Full article:
http://media.guardian.co.uk/advertising/story/0,7492,1061981,00.html
Source: The Guardian, 13 October 2003



McTear vs. Imperial

The Lawyer reports on the McTear case under the headline 'McGrigors backs Imperial in smoking-related claim'.

Writing for the publication, Husnara Begum reports that McGrigor Donald's is defending Imperial against a claim of negligence brought by the widow of Alfred McTear. Margaret McTear is being represented by Ross Harper on a no-win-no-fee basis.

Imperial is vigorously defending the claim. A spokesman said in a prepared statement: "We believe this case is speculative and that our legal defences are robust.

But Ross Harper, litigation partner Cameron Fife said: "Ourlegal arguments are sound. But we were refused legal aid nine times, so tactically [Imperial are] ahead. If we were to win, this would open the floodgates - not just in Scotland, but also in England and Europe."

In 1999, Leigh Day & Co began a group action against Imperial and Gallaher, the maker of Benson and Hedges cigarettes.

However, that action was thrown out before it reached the courts, because some of the plaintiffs were diagnosed with lung cancer outside the statutory period during which claims must be filed.

Source: The Lawyer, 13 October 2003



Analysis: Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer

Writing for Health Development Today, Daloni Carlise reports on the governments Chief Medical Officer's annual report which struck a chord with the passive smoking lobby.

Daloni's full analysis of the CMO report is available online from the Health Development Agency's website:
http://www.hda-online.org.uk/hdt/1003/analysis.html

Source: Health Development Today, Oct/Nov 2003



Smuggler arrested after kicking up a stink

A bungling tobacco smuggler was locked up after getting up a policeman's nose, reports the Daily Star.

More than 2,000 packets of bootleg rolling tobacco found in Herish Kadeir's car were really camel dung.

When Kadeir was stopped by police in Middlesborough they found the illicit "baccy" in fake Golden Virginia packets, plus more than £4,000 in forged £20 notes.

Kadeir was sentenced to 10 months in jail at Teesside Crown Court.

Source: Daily Star, 14 October 2003





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