[Intl-tobacco] Australia: Bid to extend tobacco advertising ban (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Bid to extend tobacco advertising ban
by DARREN GRAY    / CANBERRA 
Source: The Age, Wednesday, 5/31/00

A new law banning tobacco advertising at major sports events will be
introduced in Federal Parliament today, World No Tobacco Day.

The proposed law would ban tobacco advertising at all events, such as the
Melbourne formula one Grand Prix and the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix,
from October 2006.

A ban on tobacco sponsorship at sporting events exists, but events deemed
of international significance can be exempted from the ban. The federal
Health Minister must approve exemptions.

The Australian Democrats and Labor said yesterday they would back the law.
The anti-smoking group Quit said the ban could not happen soon enough.

Health Minister Michael Wooldridge will today launch the Federal
Government's latest anti-smoking commercials. The commercials show the
amount of tar smokers inhale and illustrate how smoking can lead to
blindness.

Dr Wooldridge will also release a review of the National Tobacco Campaign.

A spokeswoman for Victorian Health Minister John Thwaites said the State
Government supported the tougher stand against tobacco sponsorship.

The spokeswoman said the government did not believe the ban would harm
attempts to host the race after 2006.

Federal Labor health spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said a report recommended
the government adopt a blanket ban covering sports events two years ago.

"It has just taken a ridiculous amount of time to get the bill into the
Parliament," she said.

A Democrats source said the law would send a strong message to the
international community that Australia did not think it was appropriate to
associate tobacco with sport.

Although the main sponsor of the Melbourne Grand Prix is not a tobacco
company, some of the racing teams have tobacco sponsorship.

Honda Indy 300 general manager Geoff Jones said tobacco advertising at the
race was allowed only on cars.