NEW regulations on the advertising of tobacco products and sponsorship by tobacco companies come into effect on January 1st. They do not extend to a ban on tobacco advertising.
The anti smoking organisation, ASH, has called on the Government to introduce a total ban on tobacco advertising, in keeping with Finland and Norway. However, a spokesman for the Department of Health said yesterday that, while the Government supported such a ban, it would have to be done at an EU level. Norway is not in the EU and Finland has joined only recently.
The regulations will mean that smoking cannot be shown in any advertisement (for alcohol, for example) except for tobacco, and the Minister must approve expenditure on advertising and expenditure on and the nature of sponsorship.
Urging a total ban, ASH said: "Advertising is one of the means by which our young people are made to feel comfortable with an addictive and dangerous product and we are failing in our duty to youngsters in allowing our present level of advertising and sponsorship".
It said about 6,000 people had died unnecessarily in 1996 from tobacco use and this would continue unless serious steps were taken to assist young people in their battle against peer pressure.
ASH welcomed developments in the US, where a man won damages of $500,000 after claiming that his lung cancer was caused by cigarette addiction, and President Clintons commitment to tougher anti smoking legislation.
The organisation predicted that it was only a matter of time before suits were taken in Ireland for damage to health from tobacco.
ASH was also critical of the Taoiseach and a number of opposition politicians for attending a conference last October because it was sponsored through the Philip Morris Institute.