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Indian team's tobacco logo not breaking NZ anti-smoke laws
AFP
15 January 1999
WELLINGTON, Jan 15 (AFP) - The visiting Indian cricket team is not
breaking New Zealand's anti-smoking laws despite Wills logos on their
bats and uniforms, a minister said Friday.
Associate Health Minister Tuariki Delamere said the Ministry of Health
had decided, after getting a legal opinion from the Crown Law Office,
that the logos do not breach the Smokefree Environments Act because
they do not advertise a tobacco product on sale in New Zealand.
``There is no brand of tobacco product available for sale in New
Zealand that relates to the logos. Nor are the logos or names being
used as a tobacco product trademark in New Zealand,'' he said.
Delamere had previously told the Sunday Star-Times newspaper that the
logos almost certainly breached the act. He was roundly criticised by
opposition parties for taking a ``politically correct'' stance to
extremes.
WD and HO Wills is a multinational tobacco company which markets Wills
cigarettes in India. But New Zealand Cricket defended the logo worn by
the Indian team, saying it belongs to a subsidiary company which
manufactures sports equipment.
Though Wills has a New Zealand subsidiary, called British American
Tobacco New Zealand, it does not market cigarettes here under the
Wills brand.
Test and one-day international matches went ahead after the ministry's
investigation began, without any consideration given to removing the
logos from the Indian team uniforms.
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