Fags banned from Australian motorsport

New ruling means tighter measures for sponsors

TOBACCO advertising will be banned at every Australian sporting event, including the previously spared from the ruling, Formula One and MotoGP, as of today.

In 1992, tobacco sponsorship was banned for a majority of sports in the country, but international events were eligable for exemption by the federal health minister. Money talks.

The latest changes to the law mean that some motor racing teams will have to find alternative sponsors for Australian events.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Christopher Pyne, says it is a win for good health.

"So there'll be no more tobacco advertising in the future in Australia in any sporting fixture, which is great news for the anti-smoking lobby and great news for those people who recognise the need to limit smoking in Australia," he said.

Is this move a sign of what's to come in the UK?