The government will ban all forms of tobacco advertising and sponsorship next year, giving temporary exceptions to the money-making Formula One grand prix and soccer events, Health Minister Chua Jui Meng said today.

The ban, starting Jan 1, aims to help the government control an alarming increase in smoking, Chua told the official Bernama news agency.

"Based on experience from a few countries, as soon as a tobacco firm pulls out from a sporting event, other industries will take their place in the form of sponsorship," Chua said.

The annual Malaysian leg of the Formula One grand prix series and popular football events would be given temporary exemptions, pending further discussions.

Chua said three major tobacco firms British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco Industry and Philip Morris had announced their willingness to drop all forms of promotion and product advertisements by the end of the year.

Chua said an increase in Malaysian smokers was largely due to the increase of promotional spending by tobacco firms.

'No other way'

Tobacco companies had spent a total of RM47 million on indirect advertisements of their products from January to May and are expected to spend some RM100 million by the end of the year, he said.

"There is no other way (aside from the ban) for private organisations and the health ministry to compete with them," he said.

The ban was in line with international efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) which has put forward a draft treaty providing for the gradual worldwide elimination of tobacco advertising and sponsorship, Chua said.

The draft, aimed at cutting deaths from smoking-related disease, also calls for the eventual prohibition of duty-free sales of tobacco and measures to stop smuggling, and would outlaw labelling such as "low tar" on cigarette packs.

It also would "phase out, with a view to eliminating" subsidies for tobacco farming and manufacturing.

The WHO estimates that 4.2 million people die from smoking-related ailments every year. AFP