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India may be breaching New Zealand anti-smoking laws

AFP
10 January 1999



AUCKLAND, Jan 10 (AFP) - New Zealand health officials are investigating whether the visiting Indian cricket team is breaching anti-smoking laws by wearing the Wills tobacco logo on its bats and uniforms, the Sunday Star-Times reports.

The Indian team and New Zealand Cricket could be prosecuted under the Smokefree Environments Act 1990 -- which prevents the advertising of tobacco products -- if they are found in breach.

W D and H O Wills Ltd is a tobacco company in India. It is also the registered name of the New Zealand company trading as British American Tobacco New Zealand.

Health ministry analyst Matthew Allen said it had written to NZ Cricket ``seeking its views on the use of the logo and to reiterate the requirements of the Act.''

Associate Health Minister and anti-smoking activist Tuariki Delamere said the team was almost certainly breaching the act, but he would wait for the investigation to finish.

NZ cricket spokeswoman Michelle Lewis said NZC was writing to the ministry and would point out the logo worn by the team belonged to Wills Sports and was distinct from the tobacco company logo.

The sports company produced gear, including the bats and clothing used by the Indian team, and was a subsidiary of the tobacco company.

Allen said the ministry was investigating the links between the two, but because of the holiday break it was difficult to get information.

The act is mainly ncerned about whether advertising encourages New Zealanders to smoke.



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