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‘Dismay’ at lack of tobacco legislation

The omission of a bill to ban tobacco advertising from the Queen’s Speech has dismayed health professionals and anti-smoking campaigners. It had been widely expected that the government would re-introduce its previous bill.

Dr Ian Bogle, chair of the British Medical Association council, said: ‘I am shocked and dismayed that the government has not made room in its programme for a bill to ban tobacco advertising. Tobacco is a public health menace.’

Action on Smoking and Health was similarly appalled. John Connolly, ASH’s public affairs manager, said: ‘The ban on tobacco advertising has been promised since 1997 but the longer the delay goes on, the more we fear they may be about to give up on tackling the dreadful toll of death and disease caused by tobacco.’

‘There’s no point in pumping cash into the NHS if you allow tobacco companies to fill the cancer and cardiac wards by promoting their deadly product.’

The failure to promote the bill is all the more surprising given the apparent commitment of both Alan Milburn and Tony Blair to a ban. In January Mr Milburn said: ‘There is little doubt...that tobacco advertising is nothing less than a recruiting sergeant for children and young teenagers to start the tobacco habit.’