New Zealand Ups Size of Warning Labels (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

>From The Press - August 26, 1998


                                         New smoker warnings
                                         just a 'publicity stunt' 

                                         WELLINGTON -- Associate Health
Minister Tuariki
                                         Delamere's announcement of new,
larger health warnings
                                         on cigarette packets has been
dismissed as a "publicity
                                         stunt" by a leading tobacco company. 

                                         Tony Maguire, a spokesman for
                                         British American Tobacco
                                         which has a 40 per cent market
                                         share, said Mr Delamere had
                                         bypassed the normal
                                         consultation process and
                                         introduced a measure that had
                                         failed in Australia. 

                                         Mr Delamere said at least a
                                         quarter of the front of cigarette
                                         packets would be taken up with one
of six warnings,
                                         some in Maori. It would more than
double the size of
                                         current health warnings on packets. 

                                         Mr Maguire said the measure was a
"publicity stunt" to
                                         raise Mr Delamere's public profile
and it would not be
                                         effective in countering serious
health issues related to
                                         smoking. 

                                         "This is just a publicity stunt for
the John Delamere party
                                         rather than a serious approach to
the issues that matter to
                                         the company and industry, such as
youth smoking," Mr
                                         Maguire said. "We believe we have
constructive and
                                         sensible solutions to address those
problems. 

                                         "This is only a simplistic approach
and a failed solution
                                         from Australia which is likely to
go the same way. 

                                         "All the research shows that and he
knows that." 

                                         Australia introduced the larger
health warnings in 1995
                                         but tobacco firms say there has
been no noticeable
                                         reduction in smoking rates. 

                                         Mr Maguire said the extra costs of
implementing the new
                                         measure would be borne by smokers,
who were already
                                         being hit in the pocket by a tax
increase in the last
                                         Budget. 

                                         Rothmans New Zealand director Peter
Lorrigan said the
                                         new measures would cost the tobacco
industry about $6
                                         million to implement. 

                                         "We see this as part of his mission
to destroy us," he said.

                                         "We already have high awareness of
the risks of smoking,
                                         children are taught it. 

                                         "This will not help heighten
awareness. 

                                         "Rothmans doesn't want to see young
people smoking
                                         but we don't believe this will have
an effect." 

                                         Mr Maguire said it would be more
effective to have
                                         measures penalising under-age
smokers. The only people
                                         liable for prosecution were retailers. 

                                         Mr Delamere hoped the warnings
would reduce smoking
                                         rates. 

                                         "I hope the visibility of the new
warnings will spark
                                         debate about smoking and provide a
catalyst for some
                                         people to give up," he said. 

                                         He said Maori smoking rates were
particularly
                                         frightening. 

                                         "One in two Maori smokes, meaning
that, if they
                                         continue, a quarter of all Maori
will die from a
                                         smoking-related illness." 

                                         The new regulations will require a
message in Maori --
                                         Ka mate koe i te kai hikareti
(smoking kills) -- to be
                                         displayed on cigarette packets.
They will also require
                                         more detailed information about the
effects of smoking.--
                                         NZPA