JULY 12, 1999

Health Ministers fail to supply evidence for FIA tobacco inquiry

FIA President Max Mosley turned up at Silverstone and launched an attack on the anti-smoking authorities which, he said, had failed to deliver any evidence to prove that the tobacco sponsorship in F1 makes people start to smoke.ÊMosley had agreed to hold an independent inquiry to examine the evidence and if the point was proved he would force the teams to accept a complete ban on tobacco sponsorship. Mosley said that the FIA wrote to all the Health Ministers in all the countries where Grands Prix take place and to the World Health Organization but said that he has received only two replies: one from the British government and one from Germany, although only the British sent any evidence. The WHO did not respond.

"It does demonstrate something rather less than a great interest among the Ministers for Health," said Mosley.