Draft Tobacco (Prohibitions of Advertising and Promotion) Regulations 1999
Background:
Tobacco advertising has toTobacco advertising has to date been legal in the UK, albeit subject to a number of self-regulatory restrictions and industry agreements. The UK government is required to implement an EC ban on tobacco advertising by July 2001, but seems determined to push significant aspects of this reform through by 10 December 1999.
What will change:
Tobacco advertising in various media (including posters and press) will be banned. Many say this is will be the first time in the UK that it will be illegal to advertise a product the sale of which is legal.
Timetable:
Under the draft regulations, all direct and indirect tobacco advertising (press, posters, internet, direct mail, sampling, branded merchandise etc) will be banned by 10 December 1999. "Virtually all" tobacco sponsorship will be banned by July 2003.
What happens next:
A group of tobacco advertisers will challenge the proposed ban in the High Court in October 1999.
