Sexy images skirt cigarette advertising laws

By REBECCA WALSH

Cigarette advertising is banned in New Zealand but exemptions to the law and images of film stars smoking can undermine parents' efforts to prevent their children taking up the habit, an anti-smoking group says.

Trish Fraser, director of Ash (Action on Smoking and Health), says that although tobacco advertising and sponsorship have been banned in New Zealand since 1995, an exemption to the Smokefree Environments Act allowed imported magazines to contain tobacco advertisements.



"We would like to see that loophole closed. It's completely unnecessary in any print media."

Ms Fraser says that as more countries ban tobacco advertising, tobacco companies are becoming more innovative in their indirect advertising.

Magazines feature good-looking models smoking in photo shoots and stars are often shown puffing on cigarettes in movies.

"Indirect advertising is a very powerful medium ... Although they are not promoting specific brands, it just generally promotes smoking.

"Research shows that if a young person's favourite movie star smokes, it increases the risk of them smoking by about five times.

"It's an area we have no control over but we have been talking to the Government and politicians about a counter-advertising campaign."

Ms Fraser says parents can make a difference but they are not the key influence on young people.

Peer pressure, indirect advertising, price and access to cigarettes all have an impact.

* A survey by Ash found the rate of smoking among teenagers is decreasing.

The number of 14 and 15-year-old girls who smoke fell from 24 per cent to 21 per cent between 1999 and last year.

The percentage for boys fell from 25 per cent to 21 per cent.

The survey of 30,000 Year 10 students included questions about whether they smoked, how often and if their parents smoked.

Anti-smoking campaigns and a 20 per cent price rise for some cigarettes in 2000, which took the cost of cigarettes to nearly $10 a pack, were likely to have influenced the teenage smoking rate.