Immediate: Wednesday 20 June 2001

Tobaccoad-ban U-turn: ASH and senior MP join to condemn Government's decision

A senior Labour MP todayjoined ASH and other health groups in condemning the Government's decision todelay the Bill to ban tobacco advertising. ASH described this as ‘negligent andhypocritical backsliding', which will mean thousands more deaths and more timefor tobacco companies to hook kids on their deadly product.  In January this year, Ministers werestressing the importance and urgency of the legislation, which they arguedwould reduce cancer and heart disease, and protect young people. [1]

David Hinchliffe MP, Chair ofthe influential House of Commons Select Committee on Health, and a formerfront-bench spokesman, criticised the decision not to re-introduce a billbanning tobacco advertising and sponsorship. The legislation was a keyrecommendation of his committee's report into the tobacco industry last year,and was a Labour manifesto commitment in both 1997 and 2001. Not being intoday's Queen's Speech means that a tobacco ad-ban will now be delayed for atleast 18 months, which will mean at least 4,500 unnecessary deaths (based onthe government's own estimate that banning tobacco advertising will save 3,000lives per year).  Mr Hinchliffe said

“I am shocked anddisappointed that, after what Ministers have said about the importance of thislegislation, it is now being shelved. Six months ago, Alan Milburn told theHouse of Commons that smoking is the biggest public health problem faced by thecountry, and that it was essential to get this law on the statute books. Now itseems that the Government has changed their mind and it can wait a while. Withluck, when Ministers see the strength of feeling on this issue, they will changetheir minds and bring back this Bill.

John Connolly, Public AffairsManager at ASH, said:

“By their ownfigures, a ban on tobacco advertising will save 3000 lives a year in the longrun. Ministers say that the Bill was dropped because other areas have higherpriority, but it's difficult to think of any other legislation that will saveso many lives, cost virtually nothing and has already been through the House ofCommons. The ban on tobacco advertising has been promised since 1997 but thelonger the delay goes on, the more we fear they may be about to give up ontackling the dreadful toll of death and disease caused by tobacco.  There's no point in pumping cash into theNHS if you allow tobacco companies to fill the cancer and cardiac wards bypromoting their deadly product.

Notesto Editors:

[1] A list of the statements madeby Ministers about the importance of a Bill to ban tobacco advertising isavailable at  www.ash.org.uk/html/press/billquotes.html

[2] The full text of the House ofCommons Health Select Committee report into the Tobacco industry is availableat: http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmhealth/27/2702.htm

Contacts:John Connolly, ASH   020 7739 5902 (office)  or 07702 817477 (mobile)

CliveBates,  ASH.   020 7739 5902  or 0776879 1237 (mobile) ISDN available

DavidHinchliffe MP 07831 288944 (Mobile) or 020 72194447 (House of Commons)