[Intl-tobacco] Bangladesh: BAT Code of Conduct announced

[Robert Weissman]

BAT Code of Conduct announced

by Star Business Report
BANGLADESH;
Source: (Dhaka, Bangladesh) Daily Star, Friday, 10/27/00

British American Tobacco, Bangladesh, the largest cigarettes
manufacturing
company of the country henceforth will discourage smoking by non-adults
and
refrain from displaying advertisements at places like schools, hospitals
and
places of worships. It will also display health warnings on the front
and back
of all cigarette packs in contrasting colours.

This was stated by Paul Kirtham, Managing Director of British American
Tobacco,
while announcing the Code of Conduct of the company at a press
conference in a
city hotel on Wednesday.

The Code of Conduct among others include proof of age (minimum 18) for
participation in all BAT sponsored social, cultural, musical and
sporting
events have been mandatory and publicised.

Paul Kirtham said the company had introduced the Code of Conduct as a
strategy
for far marketing, advertisements and promotion. He said the company
firmly
believed that smoking was the choice of the adults and those under the
age of
18 should not smoke.

"British American Tobacco, Bangladesh does not want to attract
non-adults to
smoking and does not want to mislead the consumers about its products
through
advertisements and promotion," the BAT Managing Director told the press
conference.

According to the Code of Conduct the health warning clause would be on
the
front and back panel of the pack. There would be two health warning
clauses for
any tobacco advertising in television or radio. Both the warnings would
be in
Bangla. Tobacco advertisement on television and radio would be
shown/broadcast
only between 10 pm and 6 am when programming is primarily directed at
adults.
There would not be any tobacco advertisement during movies at cinema
hall. The
size of health warning clause on all tobacco communication would be 10
per cent
of the total communication area, in the media.

The BAT Conduct includes that no advertising would be displayed through
any
media primarily meant for schools, hospitals, place of worship or on the

compound walls. No billboard or hoarding advertising tobacco products
would be
placed adjacent to those places.

BAT Managing Director said, as a controversial industry, they had
introduced
the code.

Deputy Managing Director Golam Mainuddin, Head of Corporate Affairs
Mahmudur
Rahman were present at the press conference.