Die another day "Tobacco free fashion and film" is the theme of this year's World No Tobacco

IP/03/770

Brussels, 28 May 2003

Die another day

"Tobacco free fashion and film" is the theme of this year's World No Tobacco

Day on 31 May. Welcoming this theme, Health and Consumer Protection

Commissioner David Byrne said: "Big tobacco uses film and fashion as a

means of promoting and marketing their products. Movie characters smoking

onscreen often look cool and glamorous doing it. Hollywood screenwriter

and film producer Joe Eszterhas ("Basic Instinct") once said that a cigarette

in the hands of a Hollywood star onscreen is a gun aimed at a 12- or 14-year-

old. I agree. And to those who are the targets I say: Don't get fooled by the

tobacco industry. See through the plot. Feel free to say no to their deadly

products. Die another day." EU legislation bans tobacco advertising on

television and is going to ban it in print media, radio and on the internet. A

Recommendation on the "Prevention of smoking and on initiatives to

improve tobacco control" complements EU law. Addressing national

governments, David Byrne said: "One element of the Recommendation is

that Member States should evaluate expenditure by the tobacco industry on

the promotion of their products. I encourage them to do so. Looking at the

presence of tobacco in fashion and film, we need to know more about all the

industry's practices directly or indirectly addressed to promote tobacco

products. In fact, such activities, which constitute means of promoting

tobacco products while circumventing bans on direct tobacco advertising

already in force for certain media, should be specifically regulated by

Member States authorities."

"Feel free to say no" anti-smoking campaign

The World No Tobacco Day 2002 coincided with the kick-off of the tobacco-free

World Cup and the launch of the EU-wide anti-smoking campaign "Feel free to say

no", aiming at preventing smoking among young people. UEFA and dozens of

European World Cup players actively supported the campaign (see 

IP/02/782

).

Footballers were joined by popstars like Moby and Sophie Ellis Bextor in November

2002 (see 

IP/02/1636

). The official campaign song "Feel free (to say no)" by Before

Four made it into several European charts. The campaign has now shifted into a

higher gear with a huge campaign truck which is currently touring all EU Member

States. A new series of campaign adverts is being published in youth magazines

throughout the EU and on internet websites at the same time (see 

IP/03/535

 and

http://www.feel-free.info

for further information).

The campaign is part of the Commission's broader tobacco control strategy and

targets EU-wide 36.2 million young people between 12 and 18 years. The overall

budget of the campaign is €18 million for three years (€6 million per year).

2

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

On 21 May 2003, the World Health Assembly unanimously adopted in Geneva a

global Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This first ever

international treaty for public health also covers tobacco advertising: Parties

recognise that a comprehensive ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship

would reduce the consumption of tobacco products. They agreed that each party

shall, in accordance with its constitution or constitutional principles, undertake a

comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

The FCTC is an integral part of the EU's tobacco control strategy and the Community

played a leading role in developing and promoting tobacco control policies in the

FCTC process (see 

IP/03/722

).