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Click
here to review an outline of select media stories published
during May 2005.
Australian Consumer and Competition
Commission. ACCC resolves 'light' and 'mild' cigarette issue with
B.A.T. and Philip Morris. Media
release 2005 May 12.
The ACCC, Australia's corporate regulator,
has extracted A$4million from each of two tobacco companies to pay
for corrective advertising about misleading claims on "light"
and "mild" cigarettes that go back to the early 1970s
and have resulted in 55% of today's 3 million smokers thinking these
products are somehow safer. In May 2005, the ACCC and Liquorland
agreed the liquor chain should pay A$5 million for anti-competitive
practices which affected just 30 small bottleshop owners since 2003.
With international revenue of $93 billion a year Philip Morris could
probably find A$4 million in its tea lady's change tin. Is there
a comparably disgraceful "punishment" in corporate regulatory
history? Click
here to review a summary of the BAT undertaking and click
here to review the undertaking. Anticipating this decision,
the companies have introduced brands with descriptors named "fine"
and "smooth". It is highly likely that consumers think
these words mean the same thing as light & mild etc. Significantly,
the undertaking says nothing about the new terms.
Click
here to review an outline of select media stories published
during April 2005.
Wroe, D. Big tobacco firms forced to cough up.
The
Age 2005 Apr 27, p. 1.
The Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC) found last year that tobacco firms had misled
smokers by marketing light and mild cigarettes as safer alternatives.
The tobacco industry will be required to conduct a remedial ad campaign.
The details of the deal between the ACCC and the tobacco industry
have not been fully disclosed.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Tobacco
and marijuana use fall.
AIHW
Media Release 2005 Apr 7.
The AIHW makes available the first results
of the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey. Click
here to review the publication. The survey covered 29,445 Australians
living in residential households. Reports that the proportion of
the population aged 14 years and over who smoked daily declined
from 19.5% to 17.4% between 2001 and 2004. There were approximately
2.9 million Australians aged 14 years and over who were daily smokers
in 2004 (Table 3.5). The findings show that the average age at which
smokers took up tobacco remained stable at 16 years and tobacco
was the second most accessible drug: one in every two Australians
aged 14 years and over was offered or had the opportunity to use
tobacco in the last 12 months.
Click
here to review an outline of select media stories published
during March 2005.
Metherell M. Smoking to get a little less deadly.
The
Sydney Morning Herald 2005 Mar 24, p. 3.
Philip Morris International executive,
David Davies, discussed his company's plans of producing a less
harmful cigarette at the National Press Club on 23 Mar 2005.
Click
here to review an outline of select media stories published
during February 2005.
Pollard R. Pubs and clubs see loophole in smoking
rules. The
Sydney Morning Herald 2005 Feb 25, p. 3.
The definition of an unenclosed or
open space is being lobbied by industry groups, such as Clubs NSW.
Clubs NSW are pushing for an "air to space ratio" in outdoor
smoking areas of as little as 16 per cent open space.
Chapman S. Light cigarettes - deadly despite the name
[opinion]. The
Sydney Morning Herald 2005 Feb 24.
Chapman S. Pub smoking in Australia: The pubs fight
back - all foam, no beer Part 2. On
Line Opinion. Posted 22 Feb 2005
Chapman S. Pub smoking in Australia: 20 years of fiddling
and burning Part 1. On
Line Opinion. Posted 21 Feb 2005.
Quit Victoria. Low-tar
cigarettes no less harmful for your health.
Quit Victoria launched a new radio and TV
campaign on 21 February 2005 targeting lung disease - specifically
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Click
here to go to the links to review the radio and TV advertisements.
Yallop R. Tobacco industry combed garbage.
The
Australian 2005 Feb 11 p. 1,6.
The Tobacco Institute of Australia (TIA) used private investigators
to go through antismoking organizations' garbage, as testified by
John St Vincent Welch, CEO of the TIA in the early 1990s. Click
here to see the testimony.
Marriner C, Sexton E and Coultan M. Property pays
the way for party politics.
The
Sydney Morning Herald 2005 Feb 2 p. 1. Reports
on political party donations for the 2003-2004 financial year. The
data from the Australian Electoral Commission shows that Clubs NSW
donated $15,000 to the NSW Labor government but gave $76,000 to
the Liberals. The Australian Hotels Association donated $76,400
to the Labor party and $23,500 to the Liberals. British American
Tobacco (BAT) donated $56,600 to the NSW Liberals and $24,250 to
the NSW ALP. BAT also donated $164,000 to the Coalition.
How
Australia banned smoking in pubs...Frank Sartor tribute by Simon
Chapman.
Click
here to review an outline of select media stories published
during January 2005.
Click
here to review an outline of stories in the media between 17
January and 23 January 2005.
Click
here to review an outline of stories in the media between 10
January and 16 January 2005.
Chapman, S. A symphony of giving, but the trumpet
blowing's a bit overdone.
The
Sydney Morning Herald 2005 Jan 10.
Click
here to review an outline of stories in the media between 1
January and 9 January 2005.
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