[Intl-tobacco] Take Action! Tell WHO not to give award to FIFA

[Robert Weissman]

Dear Friends,

Despite outcry from around the world, the Federation Internationale de
Football Association (FIFA) has refused to stop British American Tobacco
from sponsoring the television coverage of the World Cup 2002 in
Malaysia. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is going ahead with
plans to give its Director General's Award to FIFA during a public
ceremony to recognize the opening of the World Cup and World No Tobacco
Day (this Friday, May 31st).

TAKE ACTION! Join groups around the world in demanding that WHO
Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland NOT GIVE THIS AWARD TO FIFA. The
integrity of WHO and the health and lives of Malaysians are at stake.

     SEND AN EMAIL to the Director-General via David Nabarro,
     Executive Director, Office of the Director General
     <nabarrod@who.ch>

     FAX the Director-General at:  +41 227914832

     FAX the President of FIFA at:  +41 13849696

*** AS THIS IS A VERY TIME-SENSITIVE ISSUE, PLEASE TAKE THIS ACTION
TODAY!***

Here is an excerpt from a letter the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
(USA) sent the Director-General yesterday:

     "If the agreement [between BAT & FIFA re: Malaysia] is not
     canceled, we urge you to cancel the award and withdraw from
     the ceremony.  Although FIFA appeared to be a worthy candidate
     for the WHO award through their public pronouncements that
     they rejected sponsorship by the tobacco companies, in light
     of FIFA's decision to allow BAT to sponsor television
     broadcasts of the 2002 World Cup, the award should be
     rescinded. BAT sponsorship of the 2002 World Cup in Malaysia
     clearly violates its agreement with the World Health
     Organization which calls for all tobacco ties to FIFA soccer
     events to cease beginning with the 2002 Men's World Cup
     competition.  Most importantly, if FIFA does not sever its
     ties with the tobacco industry, it degrades the value of the
     Director-General's Award."

And here are links to two recent articles in The Guardian re: the
controversy over the issue:

     Soccer bosses accuse tobacco giant
     Source: The Guardian, 2002-05-25
     URL:
     http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4421349,00.html

     Tobacco giant sidesteps ban on World Cup ads
     Beckham and Premier League threaten legal action
     Source: The Guardian, 2002-05-23
     URL:
     http://media.guardian.co.uk/worldcup/story/0,11974,720658,00.html

Below please find the text of an email sent by GPTC Advisory Board
member Hatai Chitanondh (Thailand) to the President of the Football
Association of Malaysia -- in which he expresses concern that
BAT-sponsored television coverage of the World Cup in Malaysia will be
picked up in Thailand (where tobacco advertising and sponsorship is
illegal)

TOMORROW: Stay tuned for a "World Cup Diary" which will allow you to
monitor tobacco advertising during World Cup coverage.

Best wishes,
Anna

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


Subject:   BAT sponsorship of World Soccer telecast in Malaysia
Date:      Mon, 27 May 2002 11:08:45 +0700
From:      "DR. HATAI CHITANONDH" <pirayu@asianet.co.th>
To:        President Football Association of Malaysia
<gensec@fam.org.my>

Dear Mr. President,

We tobacco control advocates all over the world have been very delighted
that FIFA had agreed with the World Health Organization that tobacco and
sport do not mix and that tobacco in any form must be removed from all
football events associated with FIFA. This policy will start with the
2002 FIFA World Cup and will serve as the starting point for future FIFA
events including the Women's World Cup, the World Youth Championship,
the World Futsal Championship, the Confederations Cup, the Club World
Championship, and the Men's and Women's Olympic Football Tournaments.

Unfortunately I have learned with much concern that BAT will be the
major sponsor for local  telecasts, live and recorded, of the coming
2002 World Cup in Malaysia. In doing so BAT's Dunhill logos will be seen
to create awareness to the big number of audience, both in Malaysia and
in the adjacent Southern Part of Thailand, where tobacco advertising and
sponsorship are illegal. It is very unfortunate that we can not protect
our people from this transborder intrusion of the merchant of death
although we have a very good law.

BAT is the world's second largest tobacco company. It is notorious of
all sort of evil misconducts, including support and taking part in
worldwide cigarette smuggling, price collusion, money laundering,
targeting children, women and the Third World, undermining the effort of
WHO, and others. In 2001 the famous magazine 'Multinational Monitor'
announced the world's worst  10 companies. BAT was one of them.

For the above reasons I would like to ask your kind consideration to try
by all means to remove the logos of BAT's deadly product from your
people's TV screens and newspapers. I wish you success in this endeavor.

Sincerely yours,

Hatai Chitanondh, M.D., F.I.C.S., F.R.C.S.(T)
President, Thailand Health Promotion Institute
Past President, Asia Pacific Association for Control of Tobacco