Sporting bodies ‘over-react’

Press, 15 June 1978, Page 27

Sporting bodies ‘over-react’

New Zealand sporting bodies had over-reacted to criticism of advertising by tobacco companies during sporting fixtures, said a member of the Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health and director of the National Heart Foundation (Dr D. R. Hay), in Christchurch. Dr Hay said the release of the report entitled “Sports sponsorship—the freedom of choice” had overlooked many of the points made by the advisory committee.

The report said that sporting bodies did not want any Government interference in the source of their sponsorships. No mention had ever been made on sponsorship by the advisory committee in its report to the Government, Dr Hay said. “What we have said, and said clearly, is that advertising on hoarding should not be allowed. It is cealr though that tobacco companies would not get the same advertising potential from television coverage of sport' ing events if this type of advertising was banned,” he said. The tobacco companies had admitted that if these i

advertisements were withdrawn they would have to reassess the significance of television coverage. In the report on the right of sporting bodies to have freedom in their choice of sponsorships, it was said that it “was not the intention to become embroiled in the often emotional campaign conducted against the tobacco industry.” Dr Hay said: “Death, suffering and diseases associated with smoking concern human emotions very much, and one of the main reasons that doctors feel strongly about the issue is that every day they are faced with the emotional reactions of patients and relatives because of problems caused by smoking. It is little wonder then that the subject becomes emotional." It was estimated that between SIM and S2M came from the tobacco companies in sports sponsorship. "There could be another viable source of this finance through an increased health tax on alcohol and tobacco, which could be channelled through the Ministry of Sport and Recreation," Dr Hay said.