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ASH Daily News
30 November 2001

Headlines

European Parliament to review tobacco ad ban proposal
Public Places Charter
Doctors’ smoking cohort study ends
Ukraine bans direct advertising of tobacco and alcohol
For falling figures ferry firm files suit
Receiving ASH Daily News twice? twice?

Full Text


European Parliament to review tobacco ad ban proposal

According to Marketing Week, plans for a Europe wide ban on tobacco advertising suffered a setback this week after the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee questioned the legal basis for the proposed directive.

Committee members resurrected previously used arguments that the directive does not fall under the remit of the parliament because it main concerns lies with public health rather than European harmonisation.

The same argument was used against a previous directive that sought to ban tobacco advertising – and was annulled by the European Court of Justice in October 2000 following a legal challenge by the tobacco industry.

According to Marketing Week, the legal affairs committee also looked at the legal base of the recent Tobacco Product Directive that proscribes the use of terms such as ‘light’ and ‘mild’. It too is facing a challenge from the tobacco industry – specifically Japan Tobacco.

A full session of parliament is to discuss the advertising directive in March.

John Connolly, public affairs manager at Action on Smoking and Health said: “From our point of view, it is pretty awful news. This shows the need for a treaty change to allow directives like this to be part of the EU’s remit.”

Source: Marketing Week, 29 November 2001


Public Places Charter

The hospitality trade’s confidence that it will win the battle against a ban on smoking in pubs has been criticised as being “over optimistic” by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

Research released last week by the trade’s Charter Group, seem to claim that 61 percent of all pubs would be signed up to the charter by 2003. This will exceed the government target of 50 percent compliance by the end of 2002 if the industry is to avoid mandatory legislation.

However, in order to be charter compliant, licensees can simply put up signage informing customers that the premises are ‘smoking-all areas” without being obliged to provide smoke-free sections or ventilation.

Amanda Sandford of ASH added: “This totally ignores the other 40 percent of pubs that are not charter compliant. I would like to see the target raised.”

The hospitality trade is encouraging as many licensees to sign up to the charter by employing signage, smoke-free areas and ventilation wherever possible.

Source: Publican, 26 November 2001


Doctors’ smoking cohort study ends

After running for 50 years, the cohort study on the smoking habits of 40,000 British doctors, which helped to established the link between smoking and lung cancer, has ended with a valedictory thank you letter to the surviving doctors who were recruited in 1951.

Professor Sir Richard Doll, emeritus professor of medicine at Oxford University, who wrote the letter and was involved in the study since its inception, said it was devised by Sir Austin Bradford Hill to achieve maximum publicity for the critical relationship between smoking and lung cancer. The link was first established by him in a trial in 1947-49, but "rejected by the Department of Health cancer committee," and "not believed by a public, in which 80% of men smoked."

Dr Maurice Gaba, 89, a former GP in Glasgow, was one of those recruited at the beginning of the study. Dr Gaba, who now lives in Jerusalem, said: "I was a forty a day man, when I received a letter in 1951 from a professor asking me about my smoking history, ending with a request to view my death certificate. I thought this doctor cares more about my health than I do, and I have never smoked since."

Source: British Medical Journal, 2001;323 1270, 1 December 2001



Ukraine bans direct advertising of tobacco and alcohol

The Ukraine parliament has unexpectedly approved an amendment to the country’s advertising law which includes a prohibition on all forms of direct advertising of alcohol and tobacco. Tobacco and alcohol advertising account for up to 20 percent of the country’s advertising.

Source: Media Week, 30 November 2001



For falling figures ferry firm files suit

The ferry operator Hoverspeed is taking High Court action against Customs officers for being too tough. The firm said cars are being impounded ‘illegally’ from passengers with more than allowed limits of cigarettes and booze.

The company wants damages because is said searches and seizures are having a serious impact on its trade. It further claims that the seizures were incompatible with EU laws.

Source: The Sun, The Daily Star, 30 November 2001



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