Call for tobacco advt ban

Press, 14 December 1985, Page 8

Call for tobacco advt ban

PA Wellington All tobacco advertisements are illegal, the Consumers’ Institute says. “The law should be enforced, in the interests of public health,” said its director, Mr Dick Smithies, yesterday. “Many people do not realise that the Toxic Substances Act defines all forms of tobacco as toxic substances. Regulations under that act say that no advertisement for a toxic substance shall directly or indirectly state or suggest that the substance is fit for human consumption. “Since tobacco advertisements clearly imply the product is fit for consumption, and cannot avoid doing

so, we consider they are in breach of the law.” Mr Smithies said the institute, with other concerned organisations, had made submissions to the Toxic Substances Board urging it to recommend to the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett, a ban on tobacco advertising and larger and more deterrent health warnnings on cigarette packets. “The Toxic Substances Board clearly has important responsibilities in respect of tobacco and we believe the board has the opportunity to make a decisive contribution to the attack on this major health hazard,” Mr Smithies said. Tobacco products were implicated in an estimated

3500 deaths in New Zealand every year, he said. “Consumers’ Institute has been deeply involved in product safety for 26 years and we believe tobacco is the single most hazardous product on sale.

“In our opinion it is unacceptable that while New Zealand goes to great lengths to recall products that may kill only a few people, tobacco is allowed to run free. We do not challenge the right of smokers to continue to endanger their health. What we challenge is the right of the tobacco industry to foster a climate of acceptability through widespread advertising plus tame health warnings on cigarette

packets. “While many things must be done to reduce heavily the number of smokers in the community, two vital steps are the banning of advertisements and the mandatory use of pungent health warnings that will really give a jolt to smokers.”

Mr Smithies said the board had considered the institute’s submissions, and those of several other bodies.

“A great deal depends on whether the board will recommend an advertising ban to the Minister,” he said. “It has the opportunity to make a dramatic contribution to the attack on this major product hazard.”