FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK

Thanks for patiently awaiting this week's delayed Update.

Following the week's events in Parliament I am tempted to talk about politics (my former profession), but instead I have to report on what has been a busy week dealing with our complaint to the Commerce Commission about 'light' and 'mild' descriptors.

I have an acquaintance who works at the Commerce Commission, though she is not in the fair trading branch and has nothing to do with our complaint. In a conversation I had with her recently she tried to convince me that the price of 'light' and 'mild' cigarettes should be lower because in order to get an effective nicotine dose a smoker would have to smoke more of them! In economic terms the consumer is not getting the same value for money from a 'light' cigarette as they would from a higher strength cigarette. She was serious.

But it is not toothpaste we are dealing with here. We are dealing with the only consumer product that will kill half of its long-term users when used as the manufacturer intends. After all, lung cancer does not come in 'light' or 'mild'.

It is a curious juxtaposition that a regulator whose role it is to ensure fair competition in markets also has responsibility for the Fair Trading Act. It begs the question as to how issues of public health fit also into their remit.

Please don't interpret my comments as being a criticism of the Commerce Commission - they are not. But in the same way the Judge in the Pou case argued that Janice should have known better than to smoke it seems to me that for the regulator this could be an issue that is 'too hard'.

Those who were at the C'mon Baby Light My Liar seminar yesterday were well served by the legal explanations provided by Susan Robson, a lawyer familiar with the work of the Commerce Commission. She explained the challenges ahead of us. There is no doubt that the cost of litigation will be a matter the Commerce Commission will take into account before they make their decision.

But for tobacco control, what's new? It has always been a 'David and Goliath' struggle and this matter looks set to be no different.

What isn't new though is our capacity to think outside the square. There is more than one way to skin a tobacco company and we have not yet begun to consider our other options.

I need to acknowledge the input of our experts, Associate Professor Tim Dewhirst from Canada and Anne Jones from ASH Australia. Hearing their countries' experiences is invaluable to our thinking.

It is clear that tobacco company deception changes not one jot - no matter where it occurs. The same lies told in Canada and Australia will be told here. The pity is our regulators have to take them at face value until their lies are exposed and proven false.

That is our challenge.

Have a good fortnight.

Mark Peck

Director
Smokefree Coalition

IN THIS ISSUE:

• C'mon Baby Light My Liar seminar report
• Greens want ban on 'light' and 'mild' labels
• Canada: Anti-smoking groups slam voluntary agreement
• Nine out of 10 homes with children smokefree
• Becky Freeman moves on from ASH
• Chewing tobacco: more enforcement
• The Quit Group Update - October 2006
• National Auahi Kore training
• Free training for health professionals
• Kiddie packs face Federal Court action
• South Australia: Ban looms for smoking in cars with kids
• Status of smokefree workplace legislation
• Blast from the past
• Quotable quotes
• Media themes

C'MON BABY LIGHT MY LIAR SEMINAR REPORT

In July of this year, the Smokefree Coalition complained to the Commerce Commission about British American Tobacco's deceptive practice of marketing 'light' and 'mild' brands as being safer than regular brands.

To help inform the debate, the Smokefree Coalition, ASH, the Cancer Society and HSC organised a day seminar held on 23 November in Wellington, and opened by Maryan Street MP.

Two experts from overseas were invited to present: Tim Dewhirst, (Associate Professor, Management and Marketing, University of Saskatchewan, Canada), and Anne Jones, (Chief Executive, Action on Smoking and Health Australia). Presenters from New Zealand included George Thomson from the Wellington School of Medicine, Otago University and Sue Robson, a lawyer with past involvement in the Commerce Commission.

Tim Dewhirst  and Anne Jones  agree - there is no end to the deviousness the tobacco industry will use to keep smokers hooked.

Tim Dewhirst highlighted a British American Tobacco (BAT) 1985, R & D Marketing Conference where documents disclose, "It is useful to consider 'lights' more as a third alternative to quitting and cutting down - a branded hybrid of smokers' unsuccessful attempts to modify their habit on their own" and a Philip Morris (1979) quote: "In point of fact, smoking an ultra-low tar cigarette seems to relieve some of the guilt of smoking and provide an excuse not to quit".

Anne Jones said 64 percent of Australian smokers use 'lights'. Tobacco companies market 'light' and 'mild' as healthier and 55 percent of smokers of 'lights' wrongly believe they confer a health benefit.

George Thomson showed an industry de-normalisation video in his presentation in which a woman sitting on the operating table says she thought smoking 'light' cigarettes was healthier for her, but that she had not contracted a "light variation of lung cancer".

His presentation also included the infamous video of tobacco industry CEOs at the congressional hearing in 1994, denying that nicotine was addictive. They are still in denial today.

Just when you think you are making progress - no more 'light' and 'milds' - out come the 'smoothes', the 'naturals', the colour coded and the numbered.

Anne Jones said that trying to predict what the industry will do and outlaw it before it happens is impossible. She showed some cigarette packets designed to get around the Australian health warnings and to appeal to certain smokers, such as the young and women, by still signifying the 'light' and 'mild' message.

Anne warned against a negotiated settlement with the tobacco industry over misleading descriptors. She said it was worth the risk of pursuing litigation in order to hold the industry to account.

Susan Robson, a lawyer familiar with the work of the Commerce Commission, highlighted two cases of litigation, one of which was ongoing today after five years in court. After making it clear she was not speaking on behalf of the Commerce Commission and that she had no way of telling what they would do, she outlined the legal and practical matters the Commerce Commission would likely consider prior to making any decision around committing resources to what would probably be a lengthy litigation process.

In summing up, Smokefree Coalition director Mark Peck thanked the presenters for their work and reminded the seminar attendees that seemingly insurmountable difficulties have faced tobacco control efforts since the very early days, and this case before the Commerce Commission was no exception.

Thanks went to ASH media advisor Sneha Paul and Belinda Hughes, Health Promotion Advisor (Tobacco Control) at the Cancer Society for the efforts they had put into making the seminar a successful day.

Electronic copies of seminar papers will be available from the Smokefree Coalition website www.sfc.org.nz/seminarreport.html for a limited time, or can be requested by email to director@sfc.org.nz.

CDs of the conference presentations will be available at cost once mini discs have been processed (excluding any technical difficulties) from the same email address.

The seminar was attended by a wide range of participants from NGOs, the Ministry of Health, academics, students and more. Seminar attendees spoken to after the seminar said it was "a winner".

GREENS WANT BAN ON 'LIGHT' AND 'MILD' LABELS

The Green Party has joined the Smokefree Coalition's call for a ban on the marketing of cigarettes as 'light' or 'mild'.

MP Metiria Turei said scientific evidence clearly showed that all smoking was dangerous to smokers' health and could kill. But tobacco companies tried to use the labels on so-called low tar cigarettes to assure smokers they were less harmful and an alternative to giving up, she said. "The fact is that smoking can and does kill people, whether 'light' or otherwise."

Ms Turei said the companies were being intentionally deceptive and such marketing and any other terms that implied some cigarettes were safer than others should be banned.

Stuff, 22 November 2006

CANADA: ANTI-SMOKING GROUP SLAMS VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT

"The decision of the Competition Bureau to end its investigation on the sale of 'light' cigarettes and accept instead a voluntary agreement to suspend the use of a very few marketing terms is a public health loss masquerading as a victory," said Neil Collishaw, research director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada (PSC) and former chair of the Minister of Health Advisory Council expert panel which advised the Canadian government in 2001 to end all forms of marketing deception.

The Ottawa based group is concerned that this voluntary agreement will impede the development of effective regulations by Health Canada that end all forms of marketing deception.

"This voluntary agreement is a ruse," said Neil Collishaw. "It will not protect Canadians from tobacco industry deception. They have already colour coded or number-coded their packages. The argument will allow them to continue to deceive their customers, all the while pretending that they have done something good for public health.

"Experience in the European Union and Brazil has shown that removing the terms without also prohibiting other forms of misleading packaging is ineffective." Brazil banned the use of the terms in January 2002 and the European Union joined suit in September 2003. In both jurisdictions, the companies replaced the prohibited terms with colours.

PSC recommends that the government now implement a comprehensive set of measures to reduce deceptive cigarette marketing, and ban each of the deceptive practices used by tobacco companies, including:

1. The use of misleading brand descriptors that falsely convey differences in 'strength,' such as 'light,' 'ultra-light,' 'mild,' 'ultra-mild,' 'smooth,' etc.
2. The use of misleading colours and packaging elements that falsely convey differences in strength, such as the use of lighter colours or more white space to falsely imply that these products are less harmful.
3. The display of numbers on packages that falsely convey differences in the amount of compounds inhaled between brands or sub-brands of cigarettes, and that fail to tell consumers how much they are inhaling.
4. The marketing and display of cigarettes in ways that falsely convey distinctions between types of cigarettes.
5. The use of brand extensions (several types of one brand of cigarettes) that falsely convey distinctions between types of cigarettes.
6. The use of cigarette designs and related packaging that falsely convey a smoking experience of 'less hazardous' smoking, while in reality they are inhaling just as much poison as ever.

The implementation of this set of measures would be facilitated, the group suggests, by implementing plain or generic packaging.

"History shows that the road to increased smoking is lined with voluntary agreements with tobacco companies," said Neil Collishaw. "It is a worrisome sign that our government may have forgotten this important lesson."

Physicians for a Smokefree Canada News Release, 9 November 2006

NINE OUT OF 10 HOMES WITH CHILDREN SMOKEFREE

Around nine out of 10 homes with children in them are smokefree, figures released today by the Health Sponsorship Council for the Ministry of Health show.

Results from 2006 indicate that 91 percent of parents and caregivers reported nil exposure to second-hand smoke in the home within the previous week. This represents a significant increase from 79 percent in 2003.

The marked decline in smoking in the home has coincided with the 2004 launch of the Health Sponsorship Council's Smokefree Homes campaign and the implementation of the Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act 2003, Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor said.

"It indicates that parents are responding positively to the Government's second-hand smoke messages and are making efforts to protect children from exposure to second-hand smoke.

"Children are particularly vulnerable to the harms caused by second-hand smoke and they often cannot readily move away from other people's smoke, so steps like making your home smokefree are vitally important for the health of our children."

The survey also shows that 87 percent of parents and caregivers have completely banned smoking in their homes, up from 81 per cent in 2003 (836 caregivers were interviewed for the 2006 survey).

Mr O'Connor said the results bode well for the second part of the second-hand smoke campaign - Smokefree Cars - which was recently launched.

"The Government, through the Ministry and Health Sponsorship Council, is committed to reducing the number of youth that take up smoking in New Zealand," Mr O'Connor said.

"Smoking around young people is a major influence in their beginning to smoke, so increasing the number of smokefree environments is crucial to prevent them taking up smoking."

Stuff, 21 November 2006

BECKY FREEMAN MOVES ON FROM ASH

It's been 24 years since the inception of ASH. Five directors, and several smokefree legislations later, the attitude of New Zealanders towards smoking is shifting. Years of advocacy work has helped us get one step closer to our goal to create a smokefree New Zealand.

Becky Freeman has been the ASH director for the last two and a half years. During her tenure at ASH she worked pro-actively with the government, media, smokefree workers and the wider community to ensure that we improved the health of New Zealanders by quitting smoking.

Becky Freeman says, "There are so many people to thank for making my time here fun and interesting. Firstly, to my staff and the ASH board for being such a fantastic team and really putting their hearts into their work. I'll never forget the death fashion show and the youth rally outside the British American Tobacco offices (and neither will they!).

"Secondly, to my tobacco control colleagues and friends who were so willing to collaborate and partner right from the start. I feel privileged to have worked with so many brilliant and creative people who made my work so much easier. And finally, a big thanks to the journalists that ASH works with. The news media has done an outstanding job of covering tobacco control issues which is an essential part of the advocacy work that we do."

Becky has been part of the tobacco control community effort that has resulted in the adoption of picture warnings. She also played a role in the Commerce Commission complaint that has launched the investigation into tobacco company use of the terms 'light' and 'mild'. And finally, keep your eye out for ASH's next big policy push - a ban on the display of tobacco products at point-of-sale.

ASH Media Release, 7 November 2006

CHEWING TOBACCO: MORE ENFORCEMENT

Grocery store and dairy owners be warned. You will be prosecuted if you are caught selling chewing tobacco. Two Auckland dairy owners have been convicted for selling the illegal substance over the last month.

Auckland Regional Public Health Service Smokefree officer Sander Lokhande says chewing tobacco is common in the Indian community. People buy the product cheaply and sell it for a high profit.

The Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 makes it illegal to import chewing tobacco for sale or distribution. The Ministry is working with the Health Service to stamp out the sale, supply and distribution of chewing tobacco through sting operations.

Ministry spokesman Graeme Gillespie says they have been aware of it being illegally imported from India and sold in grocery stores and dairies since 1999. He says a campaign aimed to educate retailers about their responsibilities and the associated health risks was run.

"Last year, however, we were made aware that chewing tobacco was still being imported and sold under the counter, which is why we undertook more active enforcement. We hope this sends a clear message to other retailers that the illegal sale of chewing tobacco will not be tolerated and we will continue to take strong action for identified breaches of legislation."

Auckland Indian Association president Chandubhai Daji says chewing tobacco is a banned product and the Ministry should monitor and stop its sale.

Western Leader, 9 November 2006

THE QUIT GROUP UPDATE - OCTOBER 2006

A total of 2,507 callers were registered with the Quitline in October 2006. About 55 percent of these callers were female (1389) and about 42 percent were male (1066).

23.6 percent of registered callers were Māori (592), 75 percent were New Zealand European (1899) and 5.3 percent of the callers identified themselves as Pacific peoples.

The highest proportion of callers was in the 25-29 age bracket, followed by the 30-34 and 20-24 years age groups.

Numbers of callers registered with the Quitline by month (registered callers are those who receive a quit pack and are offered advice and support).

NATIONAL AUAHI KORE TRAINING

Te Hotu Manawa Māori announce the first combined National Auahi Kore Training and Kai Totika me Whakapakari Tinana Update Hui.

"Mai i te kore, ki te po, ki te ao mārama"
Date: 14-16 March 2007
Venue: Rangitāne Pā, Palmerston North

Open to: Anyone who has completed Te Hotu Manawa Māori Kai Totika me Whakapakari Tinana 2 or 3 week training and all Māori health and community workers involved or interested in tobacco control and healthy lifestyles.

The hui will consist of combined sessions relevant to both sectors and then break off into two streams, Auahi Kore and Kai Totika me Whakapakari Tinana. Please note, only those who have successfully completed the Te Hotu Manawa Māori Kai Totika me Whakapakari Tinana 2 or 3 week training will be able to attend the Kai Totika me Whakapakari Tinana stream. Accommodation and meals will be available at the marae.

A detailed pānui, registration form and costs will be available in early December 2006. Please include these dates in your planning for 2007.

FREE TRAINING FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Cessation Practitioner Training (3 day Training)

This training is designed for health professional and community health workers looking for the knowledge and skill to assist patients in the cessation process. The course provides an understanding of brief intervention skills and principles for providers offer smoking cessation services. These skills and principles are evidence-base, with a strong emphasis on what is culturally relevant and appropriate for Pacific Cultures.

Workshop content includes:

Guidelines: Background Overview; The Pacific Community and their issues; Stages of Change Model; Nicotine addiction; Introduction to Motivational Intervention; Communication Skill and Pacific Culture; Environmental Tobacco Smoking (ETS); Pharmacotherapy; Subsidised Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and Quit Cards Registration; Brief facilitation skills - Principles; Introduction to Relapse Prevention - Brief and intensive; Case studies - Application of Knowledge and skills, NRT Prescription etc; Relevant Strategies and Support for Pacific Smokers.

Date: 21 and 23 February 2007
Venue: National Heart Foundation
Conference Room
97 Frederick Street
Dunedin
Starting Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm

Morning tea and Afternoon tea will be provided

For more information contact:

Anthony Leaupepe
Pacific Islands Heartbeat
Smoking Cessation Training Facilitator
The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand
Tel: 04 472 2780 ext 2
Email: anthonyl@nhf.org.nz
Web: www.heartfoundation.org.nz

KIDDIE PACKS FACE FEDERAL COURT ACTION

Australia's consumer watchdog has launched court proceedings against global tobacco giant British American Tobacco over allegations that the company breached the Trade Practices Act by selling cigarettes in "kiddie packs".

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission yesterday issued proceedings in the Federal Court, which allege that the Dunhill cigarette wallet packs were in breach of the tobacco labelling requirements.

The packs of 20, released earlier this year, could be split in two smaller packets - one containing seven cigarettes and the other holding 13.

But the Federal Government and anti-smoking lobby groups were concerned at the pack design, which when split meant the pack of 13 cigarettes didn't carry the grisly images and health warnings required by law.

The graphic images were introduced on cigarette packaging in March. Penalties for breaching the act include fines of up to $1 million.

"I welcome the ACCC's move and hope that they will be able to bring the full force of the law to ensure that tobacco companies comply with the Trade Practices Act," parliamentary secretary for health Christopher Pyne said. "It's always a concern to me that tobacco companies appear to target younger smokers in the hopes of getting them hooked for life."

Quit Victoria executive director Todd Harper said he hoped the action would see an end to British American Tobacco "shamelessly exploiting" packaging requirements.

"These new pack warnings are one of the most important reforms we have seen in Australia to address smoking, particularly among young people, and here we have the tobacco industry shamefully exploiting those new warnings by introducing packaging which diminished the impact of the warnings," Mr Harper said.

He said 80 percent of smokers start before they reach 18. "The graphic warnings are particularly powerful for younger smokers. Anything that detracts from those warnings is something that we need to be very vigilant of."

British American Tobacco spokesman Bede Fennell said only that the company would be defending the proceedings.

The Melbourne Age, 15 November 2006

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: BAN LOOMS FOR SMOKING IN CARS WITH KIDS

South Australian motorists are set to become the first in Australia to face fines if they smoke in a car where a child is a passenger. New laws to introduce a A$75 ($88) on the-spot penalty have been introduced into state parliament and were hailed by anti smoking groups. No other state has passed such legislation, although Tasmania is considering a similar move.

Under the new laws, police will have the power to issue the fine to anyone smoking in a private car when a child under 16 is present. If the penalty is challenged in court the fine could jump to A$200.

A Wellington School of Medicine report late last month called on the Government to consider banning smoking in cars carrying children. The report said being in a car with a smoker was equivalent to sitting in a typical smoky bar, even with the smoker's window fully wound down. With all the windows wound up, the pollution was at least twice as bad as sitting in the smokiest bar.

Public health lecturer Richard Edwards said there was clear evidence that second-hand smoke caused respiratory illnesses in children. The New Zealand Government has not indicated whether it intends considering a ban.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister Gail Gago said the Government believed the ban had strong community support. "Children spend many hours in cars each week and second-hand smoke in a vehicle can be more than 20 times more toxic than in a house," she said. "Toxic air particles, including carbon monoxide, are concentrated at the head height of children."

The Australian branch of ASH said there was strong evidence from independent research to show that children could be exposed to dangerous levels of second-hand smoke in cars.

New Zealand Herald, 17 November 2006

STATUS OF US SMOKEFREE WORKPLACE LEGISLATION

Back in 1999 when smokefree workplaces legislation was first introduced to Parliament, supporters had to rely on California to show that having smokefree bars could work. That seems a long time ago. Now 16 US states or jurisdictions have comprehensive workplace legislation, not to mention 12 entire countries. The states are California, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Arizona, Ohio, Washington DC, (effective 2007), Montana (effective 2009), Utah, (effective 2009). The following have smokefree restaurants and workplaces: New Jersey, Colorado, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Louisiana, Maryland and Guam.

The countries are New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland. Italy, England, Norway, Sweden, Uganda, Malta, Uruguay, Hong Kong, and Bhutan.

JoeCherner-announce@smokefree.net, 10 November 2006

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Every puff of Fleetwood smoke cleans itself! (1943)
Brand: Fleetwood Axton-Fisher Tobacco Co.

Text: Every puff of Fleetwood smoke cleans itself! In the smoke of Fleetwoods you get less nicotine, less throat irritants, and less of the tars that stain fingers and teeth... provided you do not smoke Fleetwoods farther than old-size cigarettes.

The smoke is filtered cleaner by being drawn through more tobacco, 20 percent more for the first puff and 50 percent more for the last puff.

Fleetwood: A cleaner, finer, superior cigarette at the standard price.

Retrieved from: 20th Century Tobacco Ad Collection Collected by Richard Pollay, catalogued by Roswell Park Cancer Institute http://roswell.tobaccodocuments.org/pollay/dirdet.cfm.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

"In point of fact, smoking an ultra low tar cigarette seems to relieve some of the guilt of smoking and provide an excuse not to quit."

Philip Morris 1979: A Qualitative Exploration of Smoker
Potential For a New Entry in the Ultra Low Tar Market Category

"Five years ago, we talked about this deception and said that they had to stop selling 'light' cigarettes and this has been interpreted as we have to take 'light' off the packages but they're still using a different way of being deceptive."

Cynthia Callard, Executive Director, Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada
CBC News, 10 November 2006

"What most people don't realise is that their subconscious mind is acting on instructions given to it and the more often they are exposed to death threats the quicker they will die. Why don't they do what I did and make a sign that reads 'Yuck - I hate all cigarettes, they taste horrible'?".

Letter to the editor commenting on the introduction of graphic
health warnings on tobacco packs, Timaru Herald, 9 November 2006

"...perhaps a craze will develop for these exciting new cigarette packets. Pictures of the more exotic diseases such as gangrene may eventually fetch good prices in the playground.

"...One friend buys only the packets warning him not to smoke when pregnant. Another prefers 'Your smoking can harm others'. He says they taste sweeter."

Joe Bennett, Waikato Times, 11 November 2006

MEDIA THEMES

France to go smokefree

It's official. France has published details of its new smokefree workplace decree. Beginning 1 February 2007, workplaces other than restaurants, bars and nightclubs, must be smokefree. Beginning 1 January 2008, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs have to be smokefree. The law also requires the outdoor areas of educational institutions other than universities to be smokefree.

"Congratulations to the French government for recognizing that workers deserve protection from cancer-causing substances in the workplace," says Joe Cherner, president of SmokeFree Educational Services, Inc. "We only wish that restaurant, bar, and nightclub workers were covered sooner."

JoeCherner-announce@smokefree.net, 17 November 2006

Dock wages for smoke breaks - Italian bosses

Italy, one of the first countries in Europe to ban smoking in the workplace, should dock pay from workers who can't resist a cigarette break, a management body has proposed.

Employees who smoke spend at least an hour a day away from their posts to indulge their addiction, according to the Intersectoral Group of Personal directors (GIDP), which says they should be made to pay for the productivity deficit.

"I don't want to say 'I'm fining you', rather I'm taking back the salary which you have lost if you've been out (on a smoking break) six, eight or 10 times in a day," GIDP chairman Paolo Citterio said.

Italy banned smoking in all indoor public places - including offices, factories, bars and restaurants - in January 2005 to protect people from the risks of second-hand smoke.

To the surprise of many Italians, who pride themselves on bending rules, the smoking law has been widely respected. But sending workers outside to smoke can mean employers lose an hour's productivity out of an eight-hour shift, the GIDP research found.

A survey of 141 companies found smokers took an average of four minutes to travel to and from the place where they smoke and six minutes to finish a cigarettes. Multiplied by the average 6-8 cigarettes a day, that adds up to one hour and 20 minutes lost.

And although only 24 percent of Italians smoke, the proportion is much higher in the workplace. GIDP estimates 45 percent of workers smoke, a figure which has dropped from more than 60 percent since the ban came in.

Waikato Times, 16 November 2006

German parliament votes to ban tobacco advertising

The German parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill to ban tobacco advertising. Under the bill, cigarette manufacturers will still be able to advertise on billboards and on cinema screens after 7.00 pm.

But it will bring an end to tobacco in the print press, on television and the internet and at sports events which are broadcast on television.

Germany has long been considered a haven for smokers and cigarette manufacturers while rules on public smoking and tobacco advertising grew stricter elsewhere in Europe.

The ban was highly controversial and Berlin even went to the European Court of Justice to fight the EU directive on forbidding tobacco advertising. However the government realised the challenge was doomed in June when an advocate general of the court recommended dismissing it.

Shortly afterwards, Consumer Protection Minister Horst Seehofer announced plans to implement an ad ban.

Sharewatch Online, 9 November 2006

Cigarettes off screen

The largest US cigarette maker is asking Hollywood not to put its products on the big screen, saying studies show cinematic portrayals of tobacco use can entice children to smoke but some critics of the industry were sceptical.

Richmond based Philip Morris USA said yesterday it would run advertisements in Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and other trade publications imploring moviemakers: "Please don't give our cigarette brands a part in your movie".

Otago Daily Times, 17 November 2006

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