Commonwealth Games cigarettes

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32967, 13 July 1972, Page 12

Commonwealth Games cigarettes

Sir, —I must protest at the move by the Games organisers to promote cigarettes by implication. The connection with sport seduces young immature persons into the habit. The New Zealand Athletic Association over recent years has degraded itself by its connection with a cigarette manufacturer yet athletes used to consider smoking detrimental to their skill. By depicting healthy activities they infer smoking is healthy. What about some responsible action from Government and our City Council. —Yours, etc..

F. S. JARVIS. July 11, 1972.

Sir, —The prostitution of the Commonwealth Games symbol by having it put on cigarette packets revolts and outrages me. One might have expected an outfit clinging with religious fervour to the tattered banner of amateurism to have forgone advertising a commercial product in any case; but to choose cigarettes! Don’t the committee members read the newspapers? I suppose if the advertiser wants it, the athletes will be required to wear tobacco advertising on their clothing, and to compete with fags hanging out of their mouths. Mr Scott ascribes the new move to the astuteness of the businessmen on his committee. If they were really astute, they would realise that the growing social intolerance of tobacco-smoking creates a backlash against anything with which it is associated. I for one will not contribute in any way to the Games while they are linked with that filthy killer, tobacco, or its pushers.—Yours, etc.. ROBIN MITCHELL. July 12, 1972.