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ASH Daily News

28 October 2004

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http://www.globalink.org/nbuk ]

HEADLINES

BAT's secret access to Blair...
Scaremongering
Tobacco's last stand?

FULL TEXT

BAT's secret access to Blair...

Following The Guardian's revelation yesterday that the tobacco industry successfully lobbied the government and secured a secret meeting with the Prime Minister, the paper runs a leader on the story:

"Having already been embroiled in one seriously unethical episode involving tobacco during its first few weeks in office, the Labour government has been far too ready to resort to concealment and covert investigations in a second murky tobacco affair. The first episode involved Labour's exemption of formula one from its proposed ban on tobacco promotion following a £1m donation - and political lobbying - by Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 boss. The second affair, first revealed by the Guardian four years ago, involves allegations that British American Tobacco, the world's second biggest tobacco company, had been colluding in cigarette smuggling on an unprecedented scale in third world countries."

Full Guardian editorial:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,3604,1337413,00.html
"Tobacco firm gained secret access to Blair" (Guardian 27 Oct 2004):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1336810,00.html
Source: The Guardian, 28 October 2004



Scaremongering

The Publican reports the licensed trade was forced to defend itself last week after a the SCOTH report that confirmed the dangers of passive smoking.

Despite ongoing efforts to reach a compromise, The Publican says the trade has been left reeling from the finding of the report that concluded that passive smoking "was a substantial health hazard".

Commenting on the possibility of a ban on smoking in pubs, Mark Hastings, director of the British Beer & Pub Association said: "If we translate what we can expect - a £3.5bn hit on the economy, closure of 75,000 jobs and a loss in tax for the Treasury of £1bn"

Source: The Publican, 25 October 2004



Tobacco's last stand?

With Liverpool council calling for a ban on smoking in public places< Marketing examines the implications for tobacco brands.

Liverpool council's Richard Oglethorpe said: "Liverpool is the lung cancer capital of the UK. It's not a title we are proud of. Introducing a smoking ban will help people give up."

But Chris Ogden of the TMA said that Liverpool had only a 'slim' chance of implementing the ban.

The tobacco industry is facing increased restrictions on promotional activities and last week took its challenge over point of sale advertising to the European Court of Justice, arguing the restrictions were disproportionately harsh on the companies that have already seen advertising and direct marketing outlawed.

Ultimately, according to Marketing, the tobacco companies know they have lost the battle in the mature markets of Western Europe and the US. All eyes are now on China, home to a third of all the worlds's smokers, and where marketing restrictions are both piecemeal and not always enforced. A spokesperson for ASH express concern especially since Chinese women in particular are being targeted.

Chris Ogden defended their marketing saying, "Any commercial organisation seeks markets where there are opportunities. It's an inevitable part of the process."

Source: Marketing 27 October 2004



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