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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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