EU backs tobacco ban

THE European Union yesterday backed a complete ban on tobacco advertising in newspapers, magazines, on radio and on the internet.

Health and consumer protection Commissioner, David Byrne said MEPs had resisted intense lobbying from the tobacco industry and delivered a victory for public health.

If approved by EU health ministers, yesterday's agreement means an end to sponsorship by tobacco companies of sports and other events with "cross-border implications".

The move has little impact in the UK, which already has tough restrictions on tobacco advertising in the media and Formula One has already vowed to end tobacco sponsorship of motor racing in 2006.

But Mr Byrne, a passionate non-smoker, said the decision strikes another blow against the "awful message" promoted by tobacco companies particularly to the young that smoking is "cool".

The tobacco industry has claimed that cigarette advertising addresses existing smokers in a competition between brands, but does not entice non-smokers to start the habit.

But Mr Byrne disagrees, accusing the industry of using advertising to replace the half a million EU citizens killed by smoking every year.

He insisted that there is a direct correlation between advertising and levels of smoking.

Sports and pop stars have joined the Commission's Feel Free to say No campaign, launched last June.

It aims to reverse a trend in which a third of adults in the EU smoke.

The vote was not unanimous. It was carried by 311 votes to 202, with many rejecting the idea on the grounds that if tobacco can be bought legitimately across the counter it is hypocritical to ban its promotion.