FEBRUARY 3, 1997

Tobacco fights back

THE tobacco industry in the United States is fighting back against recent moves to ban all tobacco sponsorship of sporting events - which can only be good news for the future of Grand Prix racing in America.

Last week Democratic Representative Bart Gordon of Tennessee - an important tobacco-producing state - introduced a bill in the House of Representatives seeking to exempt motor racing from any new regulations.

Under the plans being formulated by the Food & Drug Administration tobacco companies would only be allowed to use their corporate names rather than the names of cigarette brands they sell. Thus Marlboro would have to be replaced by "Philip Morris" and Camel and Winston by "RJ Reynolds".

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