Finland considers further tightening of Tobacco Act

print this

The final report of the committee on tobacco policy, set up by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health to review a potential reform of the Tobacco Act, proposes a ban on showing people smoking tobacco in the print media, on television, and on stage.
      The report suggests an amendment to the eighth article of the Tobacco Act, in order that the ban on tobacco should also apply to the ”direct and indirect advertising and promoting of tobacco”.
     
If the reform comes into effect, the ban will also apply to newspaper articles mentioning that interviewees were smoking as well as to pictures of smoking people - unless the article itself has an anti-smoking tone.
      Particular attention would be paid to youth media, which would give a headache to the publishers of articles reporting on Ville Valo, the singer of the Finnish rock band HIM. One of Valo’s trade-marks has been conspicuous smoking both in interviews and on stage.
      Furthermore, such television shows as Uutishuone (”Newsroom”, set in the 1970s when times were rather different) and Mad Men, which both favour smoking, would also be under the microscope.
     
According to Reetta Honkanen, the secretary of the committee on tobacco policy, the ban would be applied case by case, depending on the given situation.
      ”It largely depends on the situation in which the photos would be used. One has to consider carefully whether or not the particular picture is promoting smoking or not”, Honkanen reports.
      An example of a case that is potential advertising could have been the leaflet advertising Hebba Gabler, a play which was premièred in Helsinki’s Svenska Teatern (Swedish Theatre) in 2007. Both the front and back covers of the leaflet showed people smoking.
      A pecuniary penalty could be imposed on those who are found guilty of such an offence. For aggravated offences, including advertising that has been directed towards minors, a maximum of two years in prison could be handed out, the report proposes.
     
According to the the committee on tobacco policy, smoking could be allowed within the framework of ”artistic expression”, provided that it would be well-founded.
      Film producer Markus Selin would prefer to trust the judgement of those involved in making the movie, saying that his group tries to avoid unnecessary smoking in films, as smoking does not sell.
      Senior Editor-in-Chief Janne Virkkunen of Helsingin Sanomat also regards the proposed sanctions as strange.
      ”The legislator could rely on the discretion of editorial staff themselves. I cannot understand a law that would not allow the publishing of a picture of for example Winston Churchill smoking a cigar”, Virkkunen argues.
     
The report of the committee on tobacco policy will be circulated for statements until the end of January, and currently a government bill based on the report is being drafted at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
      The bill is scheduled to be brought before Parliament in the course of the spring.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Health Commissioner reprimands Astrid Thors for snus liberation campaign (11.12.2008)
  Anti-smoking committee wants much heavier restrictions on all nicotine products and their substitutes (19.12.2008)

Links:
  Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

Helsingin Sanomat