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ASH Daily News

30 October

Headlines

Schoolchildren to write screenplays
Smoking bans to be extended to public parks
Roll your own growth
Summit on smuggling
NRT lozenges


Full Text

Schoolchildren to write screenplays

The Financial Times reports that in an effort not to come across as being patronising, the government has employed teenagers to write films about smoking.

Unlike other films with a an anti-smoking theme, these films are actually about smoking - exploring the culture behind it – to make people think more 'deeply' about the effects cigarettes have on their lives.

There are five films in all, scripted by 25 teenagers, mostly from London schools, and were shot by some well known British directors.

The “Smokescreen” project as it is called, was the result of a symposium held by the Department of Health in early 2000 which focused on the problems of communicating the dangers of smoking to young teenagers.

£250,000 has been spent on the Smokescreen project by the Department of Health.

As the article in the Financial Times points out, as ever when the grown ups of government try to get down with the kids, it could all turn out to be excruciatingly embarrassing. But the Department of Health insists it is £250,000 well spent.

The films are to be shown In Leicester Square tonight. After the premiere, the films will be aired on the youth TV channel Trouble from the November 5 and at http://www.thesmokescreen.co.uk.

Source: Financial Times, 30 October 2001



Smoking bans to be extended to public parks

Several newspapers report on Los Angeles plans to extend the ban on smoking in public places so as to include public parks.

Under the planned legislation, smoking would be banned from the city’s 200 parks. In recent years, several American towns and a few cities have imposed limits on outdoor smoking. But the limits had been small no-smoking zones near building entrances, at beaches and zoos, and in specific areas where children play in some parks.

The new proposal was forwarded by LA council member Jan Parry, and a non-smokers’ rights group welcomed the proposal as “the next logical step.”

But smokers’ groups claimed there was no good reason am extension on existing laws. Enoch Ludlow, director of a national group which fights local laws against smoking said: “It’s just a concentrated effort to keep demonising a quarter of the population.”

Source: The Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, 30 October 2001


Roll your own growth

A new report from tobacco accessories company Swedish Match has confirmed that the roll your own tobacco market is increasing.

In Market Report 2001 the company says roll-your-own tobacco and cigarette paper sales were up to 17.1% year on year, totalling £429m, although 80% of all of roll-your-own tobacco sales are still believed to go through the black market.

Source: Retail Newsagent, 27 October 2001


Summit on smuggling

Northern Ireland retailers had a meeting with secretary of state Dr John Reid last week to discuss the impact of tobacco smuggling on business in the country.

Audrey Wales, Northern Ireland spokeswoman for the Tobacco Alliance used the opportunity to once again sound the argument that increased levels of smuggling is linked to UK tobacco tax rates.

Source: Retail Newsagent, 27 October 2001



NRT lozenges

There is more coverage in the papers about the launch of GlaxoSmithKline’s NiQuitin CQ. The new product is a lozenge and is thought to be a more affective form of NRT and backed by the Cancer Research Campaign.

Source: The Guardian, The Mirror, The Telegraph, The Sun, 30 October 2001



Naj Dehlavi
Action on Smoking and Health
naj.dehlavi@dial.pipex.com




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