The law banning cigarette advertising in the press is being implemented;

Do not expect negative items on its initiators

The Knesset is still afraid of the print: the Economics Committee has approved the bills to ban the publication of cigarettes in the written press.

However, due to the pressure exerted by the publisher Yedioth and the publisher of Haaretz - the main beneficiaries of the tobacco companies' budgets - a softened outline has been approved that will allow publication until 2029.

David Wertheim

18/05/2022

Wednesday, 18 May 2022, 14:30 Updated: 14:51

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In 2018, with the enactment of the law banning the publication of tobacco, the print press was excluded from it following the demand of the then Minister of Health, Litzman, who is close to the newspaper HaModi'a, in which ads from tobacco companies were published for hundreds of thousands of shekels.

50 years after the first proposal was discussed, and more than 20 years after it was tabled in the Knesset, the Economics Committee yesterday (Tuesday) approved on second and third reading the bills banning the publication of cigarettes in the written press.

Despite the recent criticism and cynical remarks about the already ineffective effect of advertising in the print press or at all on cigarette consumption - for the public, this is of course a welcome decision, which even if it slightly reduces the number of smokers in Israel, has done its part.

For the print newspapers, which have already experienced a dramatic decline in the volume and advertising budgets transferred to them in the last decade - a little less.

First, a brief background: The bill banning the advertising of tobacco products was first tabled in the Knesset by former MK Haika Grossman over fifty years ago.

MK Musi Raz first submitted it to the 15th Knesset, 21 years ago. In 2005, Israel ratified its signature on the UN Convention on Tobacco Control.

Article 13 (2) of the Convention provides that: "Each Party, in accordance with its constitution or basic laws, shall undertake a comprehensive boycott of advertising, promotion and sponsorship by the tobacco industry, including, subject to the legal environment and existing technical means, a comprehensive boycott of communication, promotion and sponsorship. A type that originates in its territory. "

However, in 2018, with the enactment of the law banning tobacco advertising, the printed press was excluded from it at the request of then-Health Minister Litzman, who is close to the newspaper HaModi'a, in which ads from tobacco companies were published for hundreds of thousands of shekels.

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To the full article

Softened outline.

Absolute ban on cigarette advertising - only in 2029 (Photo: ShutterStock, By vchal)

Scope of advertising: NIS 3.6 million per year

At the request of Walla!

Brenze, Yifat Media Research examined the extent of tobacco companies' investment in print media advertising.

The data show that in 2021 the total amount of advertising was about NIS 3.6 million, while in the first half of 2022 it was about a million.

In 2021, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved MK Musi Raz's proposal, to which an identical bill by MK Ofer Kasif (Hadash) was attached, to repeal the print press exception to the law. And pressure from Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Noni Mozes and Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken (the main victims of the cancellation of the exception) Raz and Kasif, together with the Haaretz groups and Yedioth, reached an agreed outline to end the press release. To be completely discontinued in 2029.

This week, as mentioned, the Economics Committee approved the amended version of the law, which includes the agreed outline towards the complete end of tobacco publication in the press, ahead of bringing the bill for approval in the second and third readings in the Knesset plenum.

At the request of Walla!

Brenze, Yifat Media Research examined the extent of tobacco companies' investment in print media advertising.

The data show that in 2021 the total amount of advertising was about NIS 3.6 million, while in the first half of 2022 it was about NIS 1 million.

This is ostensibly a small amount in terms of an entire industry, but according to Yifat Media Research CEO Mani Avrahami, this amount will also lead to harm due to the circumstances. "At the same time, it should be remembered that the print press has suffered in recent years, and even more so during the Korna period, there has been a wide reduction in advertising volumes, which is reflected in budget losses of tens of percent per year, so even relatively small damage to tobacco companies becomes significant."

Revenue from cigarette advertising (Photo: ShutterStock)

Among the "Women of the State": Lobbyist by Philip Morris

For representatives of the public who oppose the compromise, it was proof of the close connection between Yedioth Ahronoth and the cigarette company, which is also known as a major advertiser in the newspaper.

According to the data, more than half of the annual budget that tobacco companies spend on advertising in the print press goes to the Yedioth Ahronoth group.

This is also the reason why the newspaper has invested quite a bit in promoting tobacco companies on its pages.

For example, about three months ago, a day after the Knesset succumbed to the pressure exerted on the Yedioth Ahronoth group and agreed to the compromise outline and postpone the cancellation of the exception, the newspaper reported that one of the "women of the country" ranking is Adv. Coral Aviram, an employee of the tobacco company Philip Morris. The public opposes the compromise in the discussion, it was a proof of the close connection between Yedioth Ahronoth and the cigarette company, which is also known as a major advertiser in the newspaper.

"I brought this law to a vote 21 years ago and did not achieve anything - however, now I can achieve the goal within seven years," MK Raz said after the hearing. "Under the existing circumstances I think there were no other options," the MK added. Silver.

According to a report by Itamar BZ on the "Transparent" website, both refrained from stating which factors prevented them from promoting the initiative in the original and strict wording.

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