News Release

1997-15
March 6, 1997

Tobacco bill does not restrict broadcasting

OTTAWA - Health Canada today emphasized that Bill C-71, The Tobacco Act, will in no way interfere with the broadcasting of sporting events such as Grand Prix Racing.

The department issued the clarification to address a growing body of misinformation and inaccurate statements about the potential impact of Bill C-71 on the broadcasting of sporting events and the incorrect allegation that Bill C-71 would have an immediate impact on contractual arrangements for broadcasting the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

The effects of the legislation on broadcasting are as follows:

• The provisions in the bill affecting sponsorship promotion do not take effect until October 1, 1998.
• Before and after October 1, 1998, nothing in the legislation will prevent the broadcasting of sporting events originating in Canada and other countries, including Grand Prix Racing.

Attachment: Tobacco Sponsorship and Bill C-71 -- The Facts

For information:
Sylvie Patry
Health Canada
(613) 957-2988

March 1997

Tobacco Sponsorships and Bill C-71 -- The Facts

Many of the current discussions on how Bill C-71, the proposed Tobacco Act, may affect Canadians are based on misinformation or misunderstandings about the Bill. This fact sheet clarifies some of the more common myths about Bill C-71.

Myth #1: Canadians will not be able to watch the Australian Grand Prix and similar international events on television

The Facts:
Bill C-71 does not prohibit the broadcast within Canada of international sports and motor racing events in which displays of tobacco brand-names may appear.

Myth #2: If Bill C-71 is passed, there will be no sponsorship by tobacco companies of major festivals and events this summer.

The Facts:
On March 4, 1997, the House of Commons approved an amendment to Bill C-71 which defers the implementation of sponsorship promotion restrictions until October 1, 1998. Since most sponsored events take place in spring, summer or early fall, event sponsors and organizers throughout Canada will have two full seasons of continuing unrestricted promotions.

During this implementation period, tobacco company sponsors and event organizers may continue to sponsor and promote events as they do now. This implemention period also gives tobacco-sponsored arts and sports groups time to adjust their strategies so that they will be ready for the introduction of the "90/10" format for promotional materials and the associated placement restrictions. Additionally, it gives tobacco-sponsored groups an extended period of time in which to seek alternate sources of funding, should the tobacco companies elect to withdraw their support of sponsored events and activities.

Bill C-71 does not prohibit sponsorship, nor does it prohibit the promotion of sponsored events. Even after October 1, 1998, tobacco companies will continue to be free to sponsor events of their choice and to continue to associate the brand-name of their products with those events, albeit in a more limited way than at present.

Myth #3: No one ever started smoking because they saw an ad or a poster. Health Canada can not demonstrate that there is any link between tobacco advertising or promotion and the decision to smoke.

The Facts:
Marketers of tobacco products use a range of sophisticated promotional tools to link tobacco products with positive and appealing lifestyle images. These promotions create the perception that tobacco use is desirable, attractive, and more prevalent in society than it actually is.

An extensive and growing international body of evidence confirms that young people are in fact aware of and more susceptible to promotional practices generally. It also confirms that it is not possible to promote the brand name of a cigarette without simultaneously promoting tobacco products and their use.

In today's world, sponsorship promotion -- even if it is intended to communicate 'only with adults' -- is pervasive. Because of that pervasiveness, it reaches and influences young people: 85% of smokers and 83% of non-smokers in the 10-19 year-old age group see sponsorship promotion as a way of advertising cigarettes (1994 Youth Smoking Survey).

Young people are especially vulnerable to sponsorship promotions. Bill C-71 is designed to reduce the extent to which that vulnerability is exploited

Myth #4: The government is showing little concern for the fact that Bill C-71 may have more repercussions for Quebec than for other provinces, since many major events in Quebec are sponsored by tobacco companies.

The Facts:
Bill C-71 is a health bill. It is not a cultural or a regional bill. Tobacco use profoundly affects Canadians of all ages, in all regions.

The bottom line on tobacco is that it kills. The medical evidence linking tobacco to lung cancer and other debilitating diseases is clear and conclusive. These diseases know no regional boundaries.

Bill C-71 does not ban sponsorship or sponsorship promotion. Tobacco companies will continue to be free to support the events that they have found to be worthwhile in the past.

What Bill C-71 does do is propose reasonable limits on the extent to which tobacco companies can associate the brand names of their products with sponsored events. The majority of Canadians support these measures.

We cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that this legislation is first and foremost about health. Tobacco use kills more than 40,000 Canadians every year, and every year about 250,000 kids age 10 - 19 start to smoke. The government's priority is to reduce those numbers as much as possible as quickly as possible.

Myth #5: Bill C-71 does not only apply to tobacco companies -- it affects all sponsors of arts, cultural or sports events.

The Facts:
This is not true. Bill C-71 is a health bill. It addresses the pervasiveness of tobacco promotion, including sponsorships. It does not apply to other companies that might choose to sponsor events, or to associate their names or products with sponsored events. Such companies would not be affected by Bill C-71 at all. They remain free to sponsor whatever events they chose to support, in whatever manner they chose to promote them.

Bill C-71 has one purpose: to protect the health of Canadians, in the light of overwhelming evidence linking tobacco use to a wide range of preventable, debilitating diseases. Tobacco products are inherently hazardous and addictive, and young Canadians are the most vulnerable to taking up smoking and becoming addicted.

The measures contained in Bill C-71 are balanced and reasonable. They respect the tobacco companies' freedom of expression. There is no universal "ban" on tobacco advertising or promotion in the Bill. Instead, there are comprehensive restrictions designed to support the government's health objectives.