What is the tobacco advertising ban?
The European Union directive on tobacco advertising requires EU member states to ban all “commercial communication and sponsorship whose aim or effect is to promote tobacco products”. This would see the gradual phasing out, within the next eight years, of all tobacco advertising and promotion and sponsorship of events (such as, for example, Formula One motor racing). How will a ban on tobacco advertising help? Ministers believe tobacco advertising and sponsorship encourages people, especially children, to smoke and makes it socially acceptable. It estimates that a ban would reduce tobacco-related deaths by 2.5% a year, equivalent to 3,000 people. There is some evidence that bans work. Norway banned tobacco advertising in 1975, and according to Action on Smoking and Health, the “great majority of a 9% reduction in consumption was attributed to the advertising ban”. Aren’t there controls on advertising already? Tobacco marketing controls in the UK have evolved since 1965 when cigarette a
