Wizards of Oz - Big Tobacco fights back
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 8:42 Imperial warns of ‘nanny state’:
Imperial Tobacco has today launched a high-profile national advertising campaign in Australia to warn of the dangers of plain packaging. The Australian government is pushing ahead with legislation to force tobacco products to be sold in generic packaging by July 2012.
Imperial’s ad campaign was unveiled at a press conference in Canberra hosted by Wayne Merrett, General Manager Australasia. The TV, radio and newspaper ads warn of ‘Nanny State’ legislation that erodes adult choice and sets a dangerous precedent for other products, such as alcohol and fast food.
A website for consumers NoNannyState has also been launched.
Full press release on the Forest website: Imperial warns of "nanny state".
The move follows an initiative by Philip Morris, also in Australia. In April PMI launched a website, I Deserve To Be Heard, which was described in The Age:
Tobacco giant Philip Morris has launched a website calling on smokers to unite and flex their political muscle over tough federal government regulations.
The online campaign comes as the tobacco industry ramps up opposition to a government plan for cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging from next year.
Philip Morris’s new website ... claims smokers are under constant attack from a ”nanny state” determined to raise taxes and ban smoking in public spaces, such as beaches and city malls.
See also: Australia – the world’s number one nanny state (Chris Snowdon, The Free Society)
Reader Comments (3)
I See that ASH and the Australian Health Dept have spat their dummies out and are now shouting, "See! Big, Bad Tobacco is only interested when their profits are at risk!" Which is indeed very babyish. As far as I know, this matter of plain packaging is the first real opportunity that Tobacco Companies have had to defend themselves. This is because the matter of plain packaging is not directly a health matter - unless people eat the packaging.
The Plain Packaging affair is more interesting than first meets the eye.
The law requiring the putting of fags 'under the counter' is itself suspect regarding 'freedom of trade', since tobacco products are legal; but the interpretation of 'freedom of trade' is wide open to political interference. International laws are not so easy to interfere with - well, not by local (national) judges. The vague "to protect the children" will not do.
It would not surprise me if the Aussie Gov turn tail and hop it (HOP it!). They could simply postpone implementation 'sine die' - it has been done before - until everybody forgets it. One of the interesting things would then be the vulnerability of the 'display ban'. How long will it be before shopkeepers 'forget' to close the cupboards? When will the first shopkeeper who 'forgets to close the cupboards' be prosecuted? And what happens if shopkeepers actually gain some courage and rally?
This is good to hear. Any chance of a similar UK BT fight back?
I think you will find Imperial Tobacco (and I would imagine the other tobacco producers will follow suite) taking a more proactive approach from now on, not only in Oz, but also in the UK. I think they've realised that they are being comprehensively steamrollered (read fucked over), and they've had enough. Particularly now that 'Big Pharma' is bankrolling the antis they feel, I believe, that this has become a corporate war, and they don't intend to go down without a fight. They know that the wool has been pulled over peoples eyes by ASH and their cohorts, and we may now see a bit of reality enter into the discussion.
And about time too.