Interesting

[singularity75]

So, now that tobacco companies can't advertise for sporting events, the Montreal Grand Prix has been removed from the Formula One circuit. I'm inclined to agree with those in the anti-tobacco lobby who say that Formula One cancelled it as a scare tactic to pressure the government to relax it's anti-tobacco sponsorship laws. Racing relies heavily on tobacco companies for sponsorship. Should be interesting to see what happens when the final race schedule comes out.

More on the tobacco company front. They are trying to lure celebrities to their product by offering a lifetime supply of cigarettes to them. Considering how they are in desperate need of new young smokers all the time, and that they are trying to get a celebrity which is only really useful for the young, makes you wonder huh?

Comments

[sammers.livejournal.com]

That's....bizarre about the tobacco advertising thing, because there are other F1 races that don't have advertising - and haven't had it for YEARS - all they do is remove the brand names from the cars, and the banners, but they keep the basic logo (so you have the red Marlboro logo without the word marlboro across it).

I think it's being banned, or will eventually be banned across Europe too - either next year or the year after (there was a LOT of controversy not long after Tony Blair came to power - Bernie Ecclestone donated £1million to the Labour Party, and a short time after Labour decided that they'd delay banning cigarette advertising in motor racing - or something like that - they handed back the donation because it was seen as a conflict of interest kind of thing)

I think they were going to add another location to the F1 schedule (which means dropping a race somewhere else), but I can't remember where - somewhere that still allows tobacco advertising probably, so that they can still get the advertising revenue from some of races. I'll ask Dad next time I phone home, cos he'll know.

Here's some links to some articles about the donation/delay thing:

8 year delay for ban on tobacco advertising in sport

Tony Blair apologises for mishandling F1 row

[singularity.livejournal.com]

Yeah exactly. They are saying since tobacco was a major sponser of this one event, they are pulling it which is crap. They'll get other sponsors.

We've had a ban on most forms of tobacco advertising for some time, but sporting events kept getting exceptions. Banning smoking in public and such has been an uphill battle due to how much money tobacco can throw around.