Daily Sabah
China tobacco monopoly blocks full ban on ads


Intense lobbying by China's powerful state tobacco monopoly resulted in the weakening of controversial legislation that had been meant to introduce a complete advertising ban in the world's largest consumer and producer of tobacco, sources said. The proposed total advertising ban pitted anti-smoking advocates and the health ministry, which blames cigarettes for causing one million deaths in China a year, against the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration. So far the tobacco monopoly has won, with China's largely rubberstamp parliament, the National People's Congress, retaining a partial ban after discussions last week.