Ban fruit- Killer quotes from the flavoured tobacco industry archives “For the good-corporate-actor image cigarettes to be deemed more credible it must be consistently reflected in your earned media and packaged in your April 2006 NOW Web site. PM’s ability to make the good-corporate-actor image real for Flavoured cigarettes from a Chatswood retailer CONFECTIONERY and fruit- the public is directly linked to your flavoured cigarettes have been ability to use earned media and your Graphic warnings pass the scream test openly marketed in the United States for a number of years. Now Internet presence to push the your they have hit the Australian market. Admirably, the ACT and South message. The more you are able to Australian Governments have quickly responded by announcing bans put your “working to make a difference AT THE Cancer Council we know when a tobacco Further industry resistance took the form of a on the sale of these youth-appealing products. “message in front of the reporter, the control strategy is likely to be effective by the retailer-based “Enough is enough” public advocacy extent of reaction from the tobacco industry. campaign and efforts to persuade the government Despite the usual denials, the industry appears to be deliberately harder it is for them to write a story that We call this the “scream test”. Graphic picture- to support a (obviously ineffective) requirement for targeting the young with these products. As Gregory Connelly, a US- says otherwise.” based health warnings - required on packaging for printed information to be inserted into packets as based health researcher put it in a Harvard University media release: From a 2001 memo from a public relations company advising Philip Morris how to set up its website. tobacco products manufactured or imported into an alternative to images on the outside. Somewhat ironically, the memo advised PM executives Australia from 1 March 2006 – have well and truly “Tobacco companies are using candy-like flavours and high tech to look at the web site of the now-collapsed and delivery devices to turn a blowtorch into a flavoured popsicle, disgraced Enron energy giant as an example of a good passed this test. From the first announcement Now that the 1st March, (the introductory date for misleading millions of youngsters to try a deadly product. Adding web page on corporate social responsibility. by the Commonwealth Government, the industry the warnings) has passed, the industry still seems candy flavours to a toxic product (cigarettes) isn’t any different “Doubt is our product … It is also the reacted. to be working against the spirit of the relevant than adding sugar to contaminated meat a century ago. The only means of establishing controversy …” legislation. At the time of writing, difference is that today one is regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug The industry’s first argument there appeared to be little evidence The Brown & Williamson tobacco company Administration) and the other is not.” response to the evidence that smoking causes against the warnings was of the new warnings at tobacco disease (1969). that the images would be retail outlets. To us, this suggests If the NSW Government values the health of young people it will follow costly and time-consuming an industry tactic of having the South Australian and ACT leads on this matter. “We must incite smokers to rebel and to produce. Yet the industry stockpiled pre-graphic warnings spread the rebellion to non-smokers has demonstrated that packaging to delay the public For a background article on the tobacco industry’s targeting of youth now! We must be repetitious and for promotional purposes appearance of the new images. with flavoured cigarettes contact the TAGlines Editor.z persistent. All media, all intellectual it is able to easily and levels. What do we have to lose?” quickly produce limited Warnings that can be easily peeled What you can do: From an 1994 RJ Reynolds Tobacco Write a letter or send an e-mail to the Health Minister to urge the brainstorming document in response to edition packaging involving off the product have also been Government to ban the sale of confectionery, fruit and otherwise emerging science on the health effects of significant design and colour reported to us. We are informed passive smoking. flavoured cigarettes in NSW: changes. One such example that a complaint has been lodged involved a limited edition with the Australian Competition and The Hon. John Hatzistergos MLC Australia, of ©Commonwealth (2004 Ageing and 2005) Department of Health and packaging of the Horizon 25s Consumer Commission about peel- Level 31 Governor Macquarie Tower On the brighter side - brand in 2004. Truth in advertising - off warnings on Imperial Tobacco’s 1 Farrer Place Life-saving quotes from What you see is what you get Peter Stuyvesant brand. Sydney NSW 2000 tobacco control The industry also argued that Email: [email protected] graphic warnings are not effective. This was As was the case in Canada when graphic warnings “Smoking is an epidemic run by Please let us know what action you’ve taken and any response corporations operating in an ethic-free contradicted by objective Australian and Canadian were introduced, cigarette packet casings are you get. zone.” research that showed that smokers noticed the starting to appear in the marketplace. Of course, warnings and were motivated to quit. these can be used to hide the images. Anne Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) quoted in Australian TAGlines is a newsletter for the NSW Tobacco Action Group (TAG). Financial Review (9 February 2006) Another early objection of the industry was that Despite these industry tactics, we believe that TAG is made up of concerned members of the community who the warnings would involve an unacceptable graphic warnings will ultimately contribute to “Tens of thousands of candid support The Cancer Council’s efforts to reduce tobacco’s burden of infringement of trademarks. Yet the industry has greater awareness of the damaging effects of comments never intended for public death and disease. been known to disrupt its own trademarks for, smoking. Tobacco packaging has always been an consumption have revealed Faustian For further information, to give your feedback, or to become a member bargains between scientists and again, special promotional purposes i.e. when it important vehicle for tobacco promotion. Perhaps contact the Editor: the industry, and shown companies suits them. we now have “truth in advertising” given that salivating over potential customers as “what you see is what you get”. z Greg Soulos Email: [email protected] young as 6 years old …” The Cancer Council NSW Tel: (02) 9334 1900 Professor Simon Chapman, University of Sydney PO Box 572, Kings Cross NSW 1340 in The Lancet medical journal (8 February 2006) writing about documents from the tobacco industry archives. “Who said democracy was cheap?” WNTD - 31 May 2006 Academy Awards The 2006 Oscars were smokin’! (Australian Hotels’ Association President, John Thorpe) SINCE 1987 the World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated May 31 as World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) The 78th Academy Awards were handed out in to raise public awareness of the tobacco pandemic. IN THE last edition of TAGlines we reported lead up to the last state election whilst individual the United States on March 5 with a flurry of 1 The theme for this year is Tobacco - Deadly in any form on the tabling in Parliament of the Smoke-free publicans donated more than $1.5.million. As smoking in the nominated films. Of the four films or disguise. A national public awareness campaign Environment Amendment (Enclosed Places) Professor Simon Chapman from the University of up for Best Picture that were reviewed by the US- to reinforce and broaden the community impact of Regulation 2006. In essence, the regulation Sydney recently put it, the Government is “awash based SceneSmoking.org web site, all of them the new graphic images on tobacco packaging will comprises a definition of an enclosed public space with gaming and hotel lobby money”. contained tobacco use. that will allow smoking to continue in venues that be launched the week of WNTD. The Campaign will highlight the National Quitline which now offers are as little as 25% open to the elements. Unlike Suggestions that political donations may have The Academy’s Best Picture category winner, 24 hour quitting advice and motivation by trained Queensland and Tasmania’s recent comprehensive influenced the Government’s decision on this Crash, received a SceneSmoking “black lung” for smoking cessation counsellors. One of the services legislation, the NSW regulation will continue to matter were recently considered by the NSW its depiction of smoking in a Californian workplace of the Quitline is the opportunity for callers to have subject hospitality industry workers and patrons to edition of the ABC TV current affairs program (where workplace smoking is banned). Walk a counsellor call them back up to six times for extra the proven health risks associated with exposure Stateline. AHA head John Thorpe vehemently the Line, which scored Best Actress for Reese motivation and advice. The Quitline number is 137848. to second-hand smoke. denied these suggestions but defended his Witherspoon, came under fire for characters organisation’s right to donate to political parties. smoking around children and a pregnant woman. There is much to suggest that the complicated “Who said democracy is cheap?” he said. Visit http://www.scenesmoking.org/ (Screen the and inadequate nature of the definition is the (See the transcript of this fascinatingly revealing Spray cans bad – Scene - Search our database) for all the reviews. culmination of months of hotel, club and gaming program at http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/nsw/ industry influence.