Tobacco Sponsorship To Be Phased Out Over Nine Years

In Brussels last night a meeting of the European Union’s health ministers decided, by the narrowest of margins, to phase out tobacco advertising and sponsorship over the next nine years. The ban will be implemented gradually seeing advertising of tobacco products ending in four years, most sponsorship in five and the support of sports events by 1 October, 2006. This gives ‘world sports’ like Formula 1 nine years to disconnect themselves from the tobacco industry.

11 of the 15 member states backed the agreement in the end, with opposition coming from Austria, Germany, Spain and Denmark.