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ASH Daily News

21 October 2005

[View html version: http://www.globalink.org/nbuk]

HEADLINES

Smoking ban would lead to more than 175,000 smokers quitting

Separate smoking rooms would discourage smokers

BAT seeks support as smoking laws tighten

FULL TEXT

Smoking ban would lead to more than 175,000 smokers quitting

Government officials and health professionals told the Health Committee yesterday that the main reason for a ban was to protect people from passive smoking but that it would also help people quit.

The cross-party group of MPs has launched an inquiry into smoking in public after ministers unveiled a plan last year to partially ban smoking.

The committee was told that bans in other countries had led to a 4% fall in tobacco sales and that could be repeated in England.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Fiona Adshead said 1.7 per cent would give up - about 175,000 of England's 10.3million cigarette smokers.

Source: BBC, Times, Mirror, Guardian, 21 October 2005
Article link: http://tinyurl.com/bx45d: http://tinyurl.com/a7c4x


Separate smoking rooms would discourage smokers

By allowing separate enclosed smoking rooms, Editor of the Morning Advertiser Andrew Ping writes, the Government would be discouraging smoking:

"We all remember the yellow awfulness of the smoking compartments on trains a few years ago, which must have deterred any but the most hardened nicotine fiend.

The pub that does go down this route - if indeed such a route is to be offered - will probably find that people using the 'smoking carriages' fall away quite quickly. That's because the overall effect of the ban will put real pressure on smokers and many will find it helpful in forsaking the weed. Smokers will notice the way the world is moving - and the majority view that smoking is an unpleasant vice will encourage even many hardened smokers to quit".

Source: Morning Advertiser, 13 October 2005


BAT seeks support as smoking laws tighten

British American Tobacco, one of the world's most maligned, and some would say malignant, corporations is hunting an agency to enhance its relationships with governments and appease their health concerns.

The search comes amid spiralling tobacco taxes and global pressure to outlaw smoking in public places.

Weber Shandwick worked for BAT in the UK until 2001. The firm has since handled most government relations in-house. It is thought the brief up for grabs could carry millions of pounds in fees.

The industry has faced significant obstacles to the way it does business. An EU ban on tobacco advertising came into effect in August.

BAT sold its 55 per cent stake in the BAR Formula One racing team this month to Honda - the EU ban prevents its brands' logos appearing on cars in European races.

BAT has 17 per cent global market share but only a six per cent share of the UK segment. The spokeswoman said BAT was trying to 'push Dunhill and Lucky Strike heavily' in the UK. It has turned to eastern Europe and Asia to drive growth as smoking in Western nations continues to decline.

Source: PR Week, 21 October 2005
Article link: http://tinyurl.com/7ces4

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