[Intl-tobacco] Easy action - Prevent tobacco sponsorship of Formula 1 in Turkey - send a FREE FAX!

[Robert Weissman]

Dear Friends,

The Turkish National Committee on Tobacco and Health and Essential
Action have launched A FREE ONLINE FAX CAMPAIGN to prevent tobacco
sponsorship of Formula One in Turkey. See below for more information or
go directly to:

     FAX #1: Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One owner
     http://petition.globalink.org/view.php?code=turkey0828b

     FAX #2: Max Mosley, President, Federation Internationale de
     l'Automobile
     http://petition.globalink.org/view.php?code=turkey0828a

Please participate (it's cheap, quick, and easy!) and encourage
individuals and groups in your networks to do so as well. If you do not
have convenient access to the internet, email us your name, organization
and the text of what you want to say (for suggestions, see talking
points and background info below) and we will fax it online for you.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Ruben Israel of Globalink for providing valuable
technical assistance in setting up these webpages.

Let's protect Turkey's advertising ban!
Anna
Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control
Essential Action


**** please forward widely & encourage others to participate! ****

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TAKE ACTION! Prevent Tobacco Sponsorship of Formula One in Turkey!
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Turkish tobacco control advocates are worried that efforts to exempt
Formula One from Turkey's tobacco advertising ban will be resumed if the
country is chosen to host a Formula One World Championship. They want to
preempt any such threats to their lifesaving laws, by getting an
official statement from Formula One organizers and owners that any
championship held in Turkey will be TOBACCO INDUSTRY - FREE! [See below
for more info]

TAKE ACTION: SEND FAXES TO FORMULA ONE

Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One owner
Send a fax: http://petition.globalink.org/view.php?code=turkey0828b

Max Mosley, President, Federation Internationale de l'Automobile
Send a fax: http://petition.globalink.org/view.php?code=turkey0828a

DEMAND that Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Formula
One:
1) Promote public health in Turkey -- not the "Merchants of Death"
2) Issue an official public announcement to confirm that Formula One
races in Turkey WILL NOT carry any tobacco advertising (and thus, will
not violate Turkey's current tobacco advertising ban)

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND & TALKING POINTS

* Formula One races have long been integral to the tobacco industry's
worldwide marketing efforts. A recent survey of 13-17 year olds in
Turkey (n=6000)  found that 50% of teenagers have seen tobacco
advertising on race cars, and that the more exposed a teenager is to
internationally-televised automobile races,  the more likely they are to
smoke.

* This year, a member of the Turkish Parliament proposed a bill to
exempt Formula One races from the country's tobacco advertising ban,
which was established in 1996. The Turkish public health community
successful campaigned against this attempt to render the tobacco
advertising ban ineffective, and the bill was withdrawn in May 2002.

* However, the Turkish Automobile Federation has applied to host a
Formula One World Championship in Turkey. It has obtained the official
endorsement of the Turkish government. The Federation has promised that
the Championship will be tobacco-free, per an agreement between FIA and
the World Health Organization -- but WHO denies that such an agreement
exists. Turkish public health advocates believe the Federation may
change its position on tobacco industry sponsorship if Turkey is chosen
to host a Formula One Championship.

For more information about Formula One and tobacco see:
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/advspo/html/formula_one.html

To read letters already sent by the Turkish National Committee on
Tobacco and Health go to:
Max Mosley - http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/letter/tr0208mm.html

Bernie Ecclestone -
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/letter/tr0208be.html

---------
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