TAKE ACTION! Don't Let Formula 1 Sabotage Turkey's Tobacco Ad Ban

[Anna White]

*****************************************************************
TAKE ACTION! Don't Let Formula 1 Sabotage Turkey's Tobacco Ad Ban
*****************************************************************

Dear Friends,

Formula One receives $350 million in tobacco industry sponsorship each
year. Yesterday, Formula One and Big Tobacco, were dealt a major defeat
when Belgium decided not to exempt Formula One from its tobacco
advertising ban.

But other countries' hard-fought tobacco control laws are in jeopardy.
Formula One recently chose to hold races in Instanbul, Turkey in 2005.
Under Turkey's strong tobacco advertising ban, tobacco sponsorship of
Formula One teams would be illegal.

In September, however, Max Mosely (President of the Federation
Internationale de l'Automobile) sent a letter to Essential Action
stating, "We would not attempt to hold a Formula One race in a country
where [tobacco sponsorship] is not allowed."

We understand this statement to mean that Formula One intends to
sabotage Turkey's advertising ban, by seeking an exemption -- as it has
aggressively done elsewhere.

PLEASE TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:

We've made it real easy for you. Just click on below links, fill out
your name and contact information and hit "send."  Feel free to modify
the text of the letters, by adding personalized comments.

     1. Send a fax to Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Abdullah Gul
     urging him to protect Turkey's tobacco ad ban from Formula
     One!
     http://petition.globalink.org/view.php?code=turkey0212

     2. Send a fax to Mr. Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One Owner
     urging him to publicly confirm that Formula One races in
     Turkey will be tobacco sponsorship - free!
     http://petition.globalink.org/view.php?code=turkey0828b

     3. Send a fax to Mr. Max Mosely, President, Federation
     Internationale de l'Automobile to follow up on his letter to
     Essential Action
     http://petition.globalink.org/view.php?code=turkey0828a

Please send us copies of any responses you receive!

For more information about this campaign go to:
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/letter/tr0208/

On behalf of the Turkish National Committee on Tobacco and Health, we
thank you for participating!

Anna White
Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control
Essential Action
P.O. Box 19405
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: +1 202-387-8030
Fax: +1 202-234-5176
Email: tobacco@essential.org
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco