Fight against smoking ads abandoned

Press, 22 June 1978, Page 16

Fight against smoking ads abandoned

PA Hamilton Calls to ban cigarette advertising at sports grounds appear to have been abandoned after tobacco-company threats to cut sports sponsorships. The Government says it will take no action to ban advertising at sports fixtures, and even the Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health, which started the campaign to stop sponsorship by cigarette companies, has backtracked. The Chairman of the committee (Mr G. W. Holland) said that the advertising issue was not the most important part of its campagn against smoking.

The committee recommended late last year that sponsorship of sport by cigarette makers be prohibited and that the voluntary agreement to stop advertising between the Government and the companies be strengthened by law.

It then softened its stand on sports sponsorship. Earlier this year, it decided to aim for the advertising which went with sponsorship rather than stop the sponsorship. Cigarette brands are still advertised on big hoardings at televised cricket, rugby, and soccer matches. The Minister of Recreation and Sport (Mr Highet) has said that to deprive sports bodies of financial assistance from breweries and tobacco companies without a great deal of consideration would be a hr.ty move. Mr Holland said the advertisements were moral breaches of the agreement. All the committee had sought to have done was to have the words, “permanent outside placard,” removed and have the ban apply to all advertising. He regarded Government reluctance to stop tobacco advertising as a fact of life.

"This is just one part of a lot of submissions we are making to Government on smoking,” Mr Holland said. “We do not always expect to have everything we submit accepted, and political considerations come into it.

“Both parties are very wary of upsetting the sports bodies; and it is a fact of life that any party does consider the voters. We just have to accept it.”

He said the committee would wait and see what was done about its other recommendations. It would be very disappointed if moves to strengthen warnings on cigarette packets and warnings on all advertising were not accepted. The committee would also investigate attempting to persuade the tobacco companies to cover all placards if matches were being televised, as British companies had agreed.