ASH Australia media release                                       August 29, 2008

Casey Stoner "the new Marlboro Man" 

 

Tobacco industry using Young Australian of the Year  as “high-speed drug pusher”

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Australia’s world MotoGP champion Casey Stoner is being urged to break his sponsorship connection with Philip Morris, and stop the tobacco giant using him as a “high-speed drug pusher”.

Health group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia, youth smoking prevention project Smarter than Smoking, and the Australian Network on Young People and Tobacco (ANYPAT) have urged Stoner as Young Australian of the Year to consider the impact on young people of appearing bedecked with tobacco brand logos while racing and in media.

Stoner has told ASH that he agrees children should not smoke, and that he believes ”Philip Morris shares this view”.

Says Anne Jones, ASH Chief Executive: “Philip Morris has certainly said often that they ‘don’t want children to smoke’; but actions speak louder than words, and their track record tells a very different story.”

Philip Morris’ track record includes:

• devoting huge resources to recruiting “new smokers” – the vast majority of them children;
• actively lobbying against measures to protect children from tobacco promotion – most recently in NSW, where they campaigned against evidence-based action to remove tobacco from view in shops;
• a history of hiding or downplaying evidence of secondhand smoke harm, including increased risk to children of SIDS and meningococcal disease;
• breaking the law in NSW by promoting cigarettes at a student fashion event; and
• promoting “youth smoking prevention” programs that prove to be ineffective. 

“Globally, 35 million young people are currently using some form of tobacco and 26 million are smoking cigarettes,” says Anne Jones. “In Australia, 140,000 children are current daily or weekly smokers.

“Tobacco companies have long used marketing strategies that target young people as replacement smokers for the five million a year worldwide who die from smoking.

“Casey Stoner is the new Marlboro Man. He’s increasingly seen by a worldwide audience of young people and his clothing and bikes are plastered with tobacco brand colours and logos. In the eyes of children, this associates elite sport, success and glamour with smoking tobacco.

“Casey might have a lucrative contract with his sponsor, but as a champion he is a role model to children and young people worldwide - and he’s being exploited as a high-speed drug pusher.” 

Fiona Phillips, coordinator of youth smoking prevention project, Smarter than Smoking, says: “Unfortunately despite his achievements, Casey’s strong association with Philip Morris significantly undermines any efforts in Australia that aim to prevent the uptake of smoking among young people”.

The organisations have written to Stoner and his Ducati team, and to the National Australia Day Council who are concerned that their Young Australian is actively promoting smoking to the rest of world.

“We’ve asked Casey to end his relationship with the tobacco company to prevent the uptake of smoking, not only among young Australians, but among young people all over the world”, said Ms Phillips.

"Celebrities drawing a line in the sand with big tobacco is not without precedent. Alicia Keys demanded the withdrawal of tobacco industry sponsorship of her July 31 concert in Jakarta, Indonesia. Casey should do the same."

Philip Morris appears to be going further to exploit the Stoner association to target smokers, with a new Marlboro cigarette package emerging recently featuring racy branding and colours similar to Stoner’s racing gear.

See pics of Casey Stoner in Australian media at  www.ashaust.org.au/lv4/Lv4resources_tobacco_ads.htm

This was a joint release from ASH Australia and Smarter Than Smoking

Comment:  

Anne Jones, CEO ASH Australia                             ph. (02) 9334-1876;  m. 0417-227-879
Fiona Phillips, Coordinator, Smarter than Smoking    ph. (08) 9382 5917;  m. 0411-321- 991

Media info:      Stafford Sanders, ASH Australia       ph. (02) 9334-1823;  m. 0412-070-194

 
Smarter Than Smoking:  www.heartfoundation.org.au/Healthy_Living/Smoking/Prevention_Activities/Smarter_Than_Smoking.htm

ANYPAT:   www.oxygen.org.au/frame.cfm?sectionID=12&docID=56

Page last updated 1/9/08