European Bulletin EU9916 - 26th April 1999 (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

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!#  GLOBALink Tobacco - Weekly European News Bulletin
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EUROPEAN BULLETIN – EU9916  26TH APRIL 1999


Headlines

Europe:

Denmark: Smoking to be banned in schools.
France: Fines for Rothmans’ advertising company.
Spain: No smoking on public transport.
Spain: Tobacco Ads in 1998.

International:

Japan: Japan Tobacco has found 26 banks to join its syndicated loan.
USA: RJR settles with FTC over Winston ads.
USA: Swedish Match’s acquisition approved.


Full Text

Europe:

Denmark: Smoking to be banned in schools.

The Danish Minister of Health Carsten Koch is planning to introduce a
ban on smoking at schools, day-care institutions, hospitals etc. Both
left wing and right wing parties of Folketinget, the Danish
Parliament, support a ban, but so far, they have not agreed about to
what extent it should be imposed.

Source: Information Access Company 09/04/99


France: Fines for Rothmans’ advertising company.

A Paris court has ordered the two managers of the International Sales
and Import Corporation, Arend Ackerman and Cornelius Kooger, to pay Fr
100,000 in damages and interests to the French national anti-smoking
committee (CNCT), as well as each paying Fr 100,000. They were fined
for organising advertising that supported tobacco and for organising a
promotional game that ran between January and April 1996 in Rothmans
cigarette packets. Smokers collected points to receive gifts.

Source: Information Access Company 12/04/99


Spain: No smoking on public transport.

The Spanish Health Authorities are proposing to ban smoking on bus
transport and domestic flights lasting over 90 minutes long. The move
also calls for individual smoking and non-smoking coaches for rail
transport. The Ministry of Health claims it wants to tighten smoking
controls on public transport given the higher social awareness with
regard to passive smoking. The new decree, if eventually approved by
the Inter Territorial Council, would prohibit smoking on all types of
urban and inter-urban group transport. Allocating entire compartments
or coaches for smoking on ships and trains is now left up to the
operators' discretion, but will become compulsory under the new
decree.

Source: Information Access Company 10/04/99


Spain: Tobacco Ads in 1998.

According to InfoAdex of Spain, advertising for cigarette sales
reached 9,154 million pesetas in 1998, representing a year-on-year
gain of 45 percent.  About 134 different brands advertised their
products in Spain in 1998.

Source: Information Access Company 13/04/99



International:


Japan: Japan Tobacco has found 26 banks to join its syndicated loan.

Japan Tobacco Inc. has found 26 banks to join its $5 billion
syndicated loan, completing financing for its acquisition of the
international tobacco business of RJR Nabisco.

Source: International Herald Tribune 24/04/99


USA: RJR settles with FTC over Winston ads.

RJ Reynolds has settled charges filed by the US Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) over its Winston cigarette advertisements. The
company has agreed to prominently display “No additives in our tobacco
does NOT mean a safer cigarette packs. The FTC had argued that RJR’s
“No Bull” campaign, which touted Winston as additive-free, misled
consumers to believe Winston was healthier than other cigarettes.
Although it settled, RJR maintains the ads had nothing to do with
health but were meant to promote the brand’s true tobacco flavour.

Source: Tobacco Reporter April 1999


USA: Swedish Match’s acquisition approved.

The American Competition Authorities have now approved Swedish Match’s
acquisition of American General Cigar. The acquisition means an
increased turnover of 800 million SEK (US$97.6mn) for Swedish Match.

Source: Information Access Company 15/04/99


Action on Smoking and Health
16 Fitzhardinge Street
London W1H 9PL
Tel: +44  (0)171-224 0743
Fax: +44 (0)171-224 0471
Web: http://www.ash.org..uk