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ASH Daily News
16 November 2001


Headlines

More on the Ad Ban
BAT plans to hold CSR forums
National smoking-cessation services at risk
US cigarette makers win suit

Full Text

More on the Ad Ban

Lord Clement-Jones’ private members bill is ascending through its stages of parliamentary scrutiny in the House of Lords. But members of the House are once again set to attempt disrupting the passage of the tobacco advertising and Promotion Bill by tabling amendments to the proposed legislation.

Three members are proposing a clause which, should the Bill be passed, would scrap the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act after six years unless it is deemed to have reduced smoking levels.

John Connolly, public affairs manager for Action on Smoking and Health says if the clause were included it would leave the bill open to abuse. He said: “Advertising is not the only thing that affects consumption. Companies could cut their prices to ensure consumption remains high.

The Tobacco Manufacturers Association’s director of public affairs John Carlisle said: “These matters are best left to the Government rather than a private member’s bill.”

Source: Marketing Week, 15 November 2001


BAT plans to hold CSR forums

British American Tobacco (BAT) is launching a corporate social responsibility initiative to improve relations with its critics.

BAT head of corporate social responsibility Adrian Marshall announced that the company would be holding a series of face to face forums across the globe in a bid to establish dialogues with the firm’s critics.

He said BAT was set to stage 13 or 14 forums this year, continuing with the program into 2002.

But he admitted that many of the politicians invited have declined, and tried to hit an optimistic note by concluding, “How do you break down the barriers? That’s the real challenge.”

Mr Marshall also believes that BAT’s new stance signals the advent of his company’s communications being “more understanding.”

Source: PR Week, 15 November 2001


National smoking-cessation services at risk

An editorial in the BMJ highlights and outlines the risk to smoking cessation services in Britain and details the case for their continued funding.

The editorial can be viewed at:
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/323/7322/1140

Source: BMJ 2001;323:1140-1141, 17 November 2001



US cigarette makers win suit

The country’s four largest cigarette makers won a class-action lawsuit brought by healthy West Virginia smokers who wanted the companies to pay for lung-cancer screening and other medical tests.

A six member state court jury in Wheeling deliberated less than two days to find that cigarettes are not “defective products” and the tobacco companies are not negligent in designing and selling them. The jury also decided that although smokers were more likely to get sick than non-smokers, special tests to monitor their health aren’t “reasonably necessary.”

The case was the first of its kind to be brought against the tobacco industry.

Source: Wall Street Journal Europe, 16 November 2001



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