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ASH Daily News

Friday 19 November 1999

Headlines
CMO opposed Government move on F1
Conservatives pledge to ban tobacco advertising
Cohn and Wolf to promote Zyban
BAT deal to take-over Canada’s Imasco
Tobacco sweets scandal
Philip Morris fined for fiddling lobbying costs


Full Text

CMO opposed Government move on F1

The Chief Medical Officer said yesterday that he was opposed to the
Government’s decision to give Formula One until 2006 to find
non-tobacco sponsors. Professor Liam Donaldson said he was unhappy
that the Government had created a loophole to allow tobacco
advertising at F1 races. Giving evidence at the Health Select
Committee’s inquiry into the tobacco industry, Professor Donaldson
said he had been powerless to argue against the Government’s decision
last year as he had only been in post for about two weeks, and “there
was no opportunity to get engaged”.

Professor Donaldson also gave evidence about the health risks of low
tar cigarettes. He said that a rise in adenocarcinoma had been linked
to the consumption of low tar cigarettes. Evidence given by the HEA,
pointed out that machine measurements of tar and nicotine were
misleading and did not reflect how people smoke cigarettes. John
Carlisle, of the TMA, said that the tobacco companies had never
claimed that low tar cigarettes were healthier adding, “These
descriptions are accurate, that they use a lower tar intake. What we
cannot account for is the way that the smoker chooses to use his or
her cigarette. That cannot, frankly, be our responsibility. We have
got the tar levels down as we were asked.”

Source: Daily Mail, The Times, Daily Star, 19/11/99


Conservatives pledge to ban tobacco advertising

The Conservative Party has said it will outlaw tobacco advertising if
legal action delay’s Labour plans for a ban until after the next
general election. The move signals that the Tories have rejected
their support for the tobacco industry, reports Campaign. The new
policy reflects the views of the Conservative’s health spokesman, Dr
Liam Fox, who accepts that tobacco advertising does encourage people
to smoke. A spokesman said: “If Labour does not manage to get its
ban, we will do it. Our policy is based on the evidence.”

Source: Campaign, 19/11/99


Cohn and Wolf to promote Zyban

The pharmaceutical company Glaxo Wellcome has awarded PR agency Cohn
and Wolfe the account for its forthcoming smoking cessation drug,
Zyban. The agency said it will be working with Glaxo in a targeted
programme to raise awareness of smoking cessation in the UK. CPR has
been working for Glaxo Wellcome on a smoking cessation programme since
June, in preparation for the drug’s launch there. It is anticipated
that the drug will receive UK approval sometime next year.

Source: PR Week, 19/11/99


BAT deal to take-over Canada’s Imasco

BAT has raised its bid to take control of the Canadian conglomerate
Imasco by £300m to £4.5 billion, after a sale of the group’s chain of
pharmacies raised a higher than expected bid. BAT’s intention is to
sell-off Imasco’s non-tobacco interests, leaving it with the Canadian
company’s main asset, Imperial Tobacco Inc. Imperial has a dominant
69 per cent of the Canadian cigarette market.

Source: The Independent, FT, Daily Mail, Wall St. Journal, Express,
The Times 19/11/99


Tobacco sweets scandal

The Mirror reports on the ‘scandal of chewing tobacco sweets’ which
are putting children at risk of oral cancer. Public Health minister,
Yvette Cooper, said the government was taking the matter very
seriously and is now looking at ways of tackling the problem.

Source: The Mirror, 19/11/99


Philip Morris fined for fiddling lobbying costs

An inquiry into political lobbying has resulted in Philip Morris
being fined $75,000 for funding a reception at a New York restaurant.
Lobbyist Sharon Portnoy, acting on behalf of Philip Morris paid the
$1,818 restaurant bill for a group of New York state legislators in
1997. Philip Morris was fined for repeatedly falsifying or failing
to report its lobbying expenditures as required by state law.

Source: International Herald Tribune, 19/11/99

Karl Brookes
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