[Intl-tobacco] Scotland set to lead tobacco advert ban (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Scotland set to lead tobacco advert ban
by Hamish Macdonell / Scottish Political Editor
Source: The Scotsman, 2001-10-01

Health Minister Susan Deacon gave a clear indication last night that she
would drive ahead with a Scotland-only ban on tobacco advertising if the
government failed to take action soon.

Ms Deacon stressed that a UK-wide ban offered the best way of cutting
smoking, particularly among the young, but she hinted that she was running
out of patience with Westminster for failing to make any progress on the
issue.

Any unilateral moves by the Scottish executive on tobacco advertising
would anger and embarrass health ministers in Westminster, fearful of
being upstaged.

There has been increasing frustration in Scotland with the lack of any
coherent plan or timetable from Westminster for a tobacco ban.

Executive ministers are also aware that SNP health spokeswoman Nicola
Sturgeon has pledged to bring in a Scotland-only ban through a private
member=92s bill, and this will undoubtedly attract the support of a large
number of Labour back-benchers.

Ms Deacon said yesterday: "All with a genuine interest in this issue agree
that a UK ban would be more effective than Scotland-only action. We are
all anxious to see this achieved at the earliest possible date.

"We are urging the Westminster government to move quickly in this area.
The executive has never ruled out the possibility of a Scotland-only
advertising ban, but our key aim is to achieve effective and enforceable
legislation.

"We are in no doubt that this can be best achieved through a UK-wide ban.
Indeed, that was the position supported by the Scottish parliament earlier
this year."

One of the drawbacks of a Scotland-only ban would be that it would be able
to place restrictions only on point-of-sale and billboard advertising.

This would prevent tobacco companies from advertising products in shops,
supermarkets, vending machines and billboards but would allow them to
continue to advertise in newspapers, magazines and other publications.

The only way to achieve a blanket ban on all these forms of advertising
would be through Westminster legislation - which is why executive
ministers are keen to pursue this as their favoured option. But the slow
progress of the Blair government in bringing about any form of ban has
pushed executive ministers to consider the possibility of going it alone,
even if it antagonises and embarrasses their colleagues south of the
Border.

The Labour government shelved Westminster legislation to ban tobacco
advertising by dropping it from the Queen=92s Speech in June.

Legislation may not be introduced until 2003, despite Labour=92s pledges in
its 1997 and 2001 manifestos.

It is understood that Ms Deacon may use meetings with her counterparts
from Westminster at the Labour conference in Brighton this week to warn
them that Scotland will go it alone if necessary.

And, in a clear signal that the issue has already been discussed, Helen
Liddell, the Scottish Secretary, said yesterday the executive could go it
alone.

Asked on BBC Scotland=92s Holyrood programme if she would be relaxed if the
executive brought in a ban without the same in England, she said: "Yes."
And she added: "It is for the Scottish parliament to decide if they wish
to proceed on their own in this.

"We want everyone, particularly young people, to be well aware of the
dangers of smoking."

Ms Deacon has the support of health bodies and pressure groups which want
to see tobacco advertising banned as soon as possible.

And by the government=92s own estimates, banning all tobacco advertising
would reduce consumption by 2.5 per cent and save 300 lives a year.

In the four countries where a ban on tobacco advertising has been
introduced as part of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy - Finland,
France, New Zealand and Norway - the per-capita consumption of cigarettes
dropped by between 14 per cent and 37 per cent after the implementation of
the ban.

Maureen Moore, the chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH),
said: "We support the minister=92s efforts to persuade her Westminster
colleagues that a UK-wide ban must be implemented.

"However, we would urge the minister to set a timetable for taking forward
a Scottish ban if Alan Milburn [the UK Health Secretary] does not announce
a change of heart when parliament resumes next month."