Agreement on tobacco advertising renegotiated

Press, 8 September 1984, Page 8

Agreement on tobacco advertising renegotiated

PA Wellington The Health Department and cigarette companies have begun negotiations on a new voluntary agreement restricting tobacco advertising. The Director of Public Health, Mr Max Collins, and the Tobacco Institute’s executive director, Mr Michael Thompson, both said that discussions were in a preliminary stage, and would not comment further. The present agreement was due for renegotiation in May, but an anti-smoking petition before parliament interfered. Mr Thompson said that the previous Minister of Health, Mr Malcolm, suggested that the agreement

remain in force until the 4270-signature petition calling for abolition of cigarette advertising was considered by Parliament. The tobacco companies agreed. However, the petition had not been reported back by the Health and Welfare Select Committee when Parliament was dissolved for the General Election, causing it to lapse. Because of this it was decided to start talks on a new agreement. A voluntary code on cigarette advertising has been in force since 1973, and there has been no television or radio advertising since 1962. The present code includes bans of television, radio, and cinema advertising, ad-

vertising directed towards people under 18, or that aimed at increasing the number of smokers. Sporting, entertainment or other celebrities must also not endorse cigarettes. Anti-smoking campaigners say that the agreement is too vague and has loopholes which allow, for instance, the advertising of cigars on television and radio. However, the negotiations may be disrupted again by the anti-smoking petition, which its organiser, Mr Cliff Turner, hoped to present to Parliament. Another petition, seeking a ban on smoking in public places, has been presented in the nine-day session of the new Parliament.