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Tobacco Ads

by Samer Muscati and Stu Clark (CUP)

Student newspapers will be among the first Canadian media outlets to profit from a Supreme Court decision to overturn a ban on tobacco advertisements. On September 21, the Supreme Court of Canada lifted a 7-year-old ban on tobacco advertising because it threatened the right of the tobacco companies to free speech. After cautiously pondering their options for a month, tobacco companies seem ready to take advantage of the decision, and make a move on the student market.

RJR Macdonald inc., which produces Export ‘A’ cigarettes, has approached the student press through Campus Plus, Canada’s largest national advertising company for student newspapers.

Student papers in Ottawa and Wind- sor will accept the full-page advertisements which are due out later this month. The two cities will serve as a test market for the tobacco corporation, and may open up the doors to national tobacco-advertising in student newspapers across the country.

““Depending on what kind of re- sponse they get to that advertising will determine whether they roll it out into a national campaign.’’ said Bill Cotric, executive director of Campus Plus. ‘‘I’m actually surprised at how quickly the [tobacco corporations] have jumped on to considering this type of thing.’

Last Thursday, staff members at The Charlatan, at Carleton University, voted overwhelmingly in favour of accepting the advertisements, due mainly to economic considerations. The full-colour ads will generate as much as an additional $12 thousand in revenue, says Jill Perry, business manager for The Charlatan.

Perry says that the advertisements are ethical, since the intentions of the tobacco corporation ‘‘are not to get people to smoke more, but to get people to switch brands’’.

However, not everyone agrees.

Charlatan staff writer Alex Bustos says it is ironic that his paper readily criticizes government cut-backs, and then places profit before its own principles. **Social responsibility should come before financial responsibility,’’ said Bustos. ‘‘We shouldn’t support an organization that’s responsible for the deaths of thousands of people.’’

Brett Ballah, editor-in-chief of The Fulcrum agrees, and hopes that other student papers do not sell out. The Univer- sity of Ottawa newspaper is the only publication on the Campus Plus rate card to

turn down the ads.

The Fulcrum set a policy of not accepting tobacco ads right after the supreme court decision in October. ‘‘Stu- dent organizations shouldn’t be soliciting these ads from the dark horses of society,”’ said Ballah. ‘‘They’re merchants of death . . .no business should advertise tobacco products, and especially not student newspapers.’

However, Cheryl Clark editor in chief of The Lance at the University of _ Windsor is puzzled that papers like The Fulcrum run advertisements from beer companies, but not from tobacco compa- nies, since they are ‘‘the same thing.”’

‘*We thought it was censorship to not tun tobacco ads,’’ said Clark. ‘‘You’re not putting a gun to anyone’s head and saying ‘smoke this cigarette.’’’

But Ballah maintains that the health risks associated with smoking are much more conclusive and harmful than alcohol. Cigarettes cause more than 40,000 deaths a year in Canada alone, according to Maclean's magazine and other sources.

The Campus Network, another national advertising firm for student newspapers, has also received propositions from a tobacco company.

“‘Clearly this is a market they want,”’ said Katherine Stewart, director of services for Campus Network. ‘‘People smoke at universities, we all know that.’’

Heather Selin, policy consultant for the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association in Canada, says that it is unfortunate that campus papers may lead the way for tobacco advertising in the country.

She says that the youth market is incredibly important to the tobacco indus- try since 90 per cent of smokers start before the age of 19.

**Campuses have demonstrated leadership in other areas and this is an excellent opportunity for the to do so again,’’ she said. ‘‘I hope they don’t surrender to Canada’s biggest drug lords.”’

Editor’s note -- The Panther Prints recently decided to refuse any advertising which promotes the use of tobacco prod- ucts.

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On Senile? November 18, the Memorial University Sea-hawks arrived at the Sports Centre to take on the Panthers in basketball action.

First on the floor was the ladies games. The Sea-hawks got off to an early lead, but the Panthers hung on. At half, MUN led 47-36. The Panthers pulled within ten through the second half thanks to some perimeter shooting by Deighan and Sirois. In the end, however, the Panthers were unable to hold off MUN and lost 91- 77. Top Panther scorers were Sirois (18), Dieghan (12), Shive and Johnston (11 each). The player of the game was MUN’s Michelle Healey, who had twenty-four points for the win.

The men then took to the court. The start of the game was delayed because the rim was broken in warm up but UPEI’s Curtis Robinson. The Sports Centre staff saved the day by replacing the rim. The game saw MUN go up early. MUN led 55- 47 at the half. The Panthers continued to battle the Sea-hawks, but were unable to make up the lost ground, and lost 100-86. Top scorers for the Panthers were Robinson (39), Newson (14) and Peter Lawlor (13). The player of the game went to MUN’s John Devereaux.

Sunday November 19 saw the Panthers and Sea-hawks back in action for arematch. The ladies took to the floor hoping to avenge Saturday’s loss. The Panthers got down early. In the closing minutes of the first half, they pulled even, and led 43-41 at the half. In the second, MUN fought back, re-taking the lead. The Panthers hung on, getting within five points, but were unable to overtake MUN, who hung on to wing 88-72. Top scorers for UPEI were Rigby (14), Saunders (13), Shive and Johnston (12 each). The player of the game was MUN’s Jenifer Devereaux.

The men’s teams then took to the hardwood. The Panthers jumped out to an early lead, eager to make up for yester- day’s loss. The Panthers lit up the score- board with some perimeter shots and great inside rebounding. At the half, the Pan- thers led 57-44. The second half saw the Panthers continue to build and maintain their lead. The Sea-hawks began to get close, but the Panthers shut them down, winning the game 104-83. Leading scorers

for the Panthers were Robinson (31),

Around The Rim

Newson (18), and Peter Lawlor (16). The player of the game went to Newson for his all around performance in the game.

On November 21, the St. FX X-men made it to the Island to play a postponed game. The Panthers started off slow in the first couple of minutes, but then got rolling. Strong zone defense by the Panthers helped cause many turnovers by St. FX, thus controlling their offence. At the half the Panthers led 43-33.

In the second half, the teams re- mained evenly matched. In the latter stages of the game, St FX’s three point shooters stepped up and tied the game. However, once again the Panthers intensi- fied their defense and outside shooting to hold off the X-men 88-81. Top scorers for the Panthers were Newson (29), Robinson (27) and Peter Lawlor (12). The player of the game went to Curtis Robinson.

The next games for both teams are December 2 and 3 at UNB. Go Panthers!

Face Off

On November 18, the Panthers rolled

- into Fredericton to take on the UNB

Varsity Reds. Because neither I nor my UNB correspondent were there, the only thing I can report is that the Panthers lost 6-4.

On Sunday the 19, the teams played a return engagement. This game saw the Panthers take the early lead on a goal by Cory Power, assisted by MacPherson and Harding. The Panthers scored their second goal on a shot by Dave Lemay, with assists by MacPherson and Harding.

In the second period, John Nelson scored assisted by White and Sproul. The Panthers added a fourth goal scored by KJ White, with assists to Henderson and Nelson. In the end, however, the UNB team tied up the game and went ahead on a

- goal late in the third. The Panthers lost 5-

4.

After the game Forbes MacPherson observed that UNB ‘‘are ranked third in the country, and we proved that we can play with anyone in this league’. The Panthers play St Thomas before this semester’s play ends. My thanks to my UNB correspond- ent Neil for providing me with top notch coverage of the game.

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