[LINK] internet tobacco advertising

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Australia to restrict internet tobacco advertising

SYDNEY | Wed Nov 17, 2010 1:29pm EST 
<http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AG3TY20101117?
feedType=nl&feedName=usoddlyenough>


SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will move on Wednesday to restrict internet 
tobacco advertising, preventing retailers from promoting cheap or tax 
free cigarettes, as part of a campaign to cut smoking rates by 10 percent 
by 2018.

Young Australians, aged 24-29, currently have the highest rate of smoking 
among Australians, who currently have a nearly 20 percent rate of smoking 
overall.

Australia has some of the world's toughest tobacco advertising 
restrictions and already bans advertising on television and radio, in 
newspapers and magazines, and at sporting events.

Retailers are prohibited from displaying cigarette packets in shops and 
cigarette packets carry graphic images of cancer and a health warning 
that smoking causes cancer.

"Prohibiting retailers from peddling cigarettes as 'cheap' or 'tax-free' 
on the internet is the latest step in the...government's hard hitting and 
comprehensive action to reduce Australia's smoking rates," Health 
Minister Nicola Roxon said in announcing the new legislation to go to 
parliament.

"Together with our efforts to mandate the plain packaging of tobacco 
products from 2012, Australia is on track to have the world's toughest 
measures against tobacco," Roxon added.

"Tobacco use is Australia's single largest cause of premature death and 
disease, killing 15,000 Australians a year and costing our economy A$31.5 
billion."

Smoking rates in Australia have been declining since the mid-1970s when 
the advertising bans first started, down from around 35 percent to 19 
percent today.

The Australian Council on Smoking and Health welcomed the move.

"Cigarettes are now being heavily promoted on the Internet, and there are 
serious concerns that both online advertising and social networking sites 
are being used to promote tobacco to young people," said council 
president Mike Daube.

(Reporting by Michael Perry; Editing by Elaine Lies)

--
Cheers,
Stephen