Well thats the end of the fag money

[rdjones]

This just in from BBC News Online

Motorsport's world governing body will halt tobacco advertising and sponsorship after the 2006 season.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced the move on Wednesday.

The introduction of the ban has been delayed to give racing teams time to find alternative sponsorship.

Tobacco firms currently provide a large slice of financial support for the sport.

[Nicholas]

Ah well, it was going to happen sometime. When I saw the thread title, I thought it meant that the ban was going to be even earlier . Imagine!

[TimD]

Now looking on the positive side, this means there's going to be just a little less pressure to set up new Grands Prix at tobacco-friendly new venues at the expense of other, established races.

Silverstone and Imola can breathe just a tiny bit more easily, I think.

[BootsOntheSide]

From a racing perspective it could be a good thing, as it will level up the competition as smaller teams with no baccy money have a much herder battle to compete. Not sure if its good fromthe medical situation, tehre is evidence that F1 fans are more likely to smoke, though the companies claim that advertising merely alters brand loyalty. I hate tobacco and I hate the companies, but I can't understand why alcohol sponsotrship of otehr sports eg football is ok when tobacco is not.

[Dr. Austin]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BootsOntheSide


"I hate tobacco and I hate the companies,"

I'm with you. The sooner the blood money is gone from the sport, the higher we can hold our heads. The easier we will all breathe.



"but I can't understand why alcohol sponsotrship of otehr sports eg football is ok when tobacco is not."

In the states, anyway, I believe that tobbacco advertising was banned from sporting events and at the time, auto racing was not considered a sport by our tyrannical government. The cig companies took full advantage of the loophole. Getting off tobbacco money is proving to be as difficult as getting off tobbacco itself. The sport is addicted and it is time for cold turkey. Stewart never accepted tobbacco money, neither did Petty enterprises. The sport will survive just fine without it. The sport will be greater when the money is gone. Maybe we can get back to automotive sponsors. The Boyles Seals Fast Spl. Yeah.

I also can't understand why there is so much fuss over advertising a legal product. We advertise condoms, for God's sake. We have Massengale ads on at dinner time. I have seen TV ads for abortion clinics.

If Tobbacco is THAT bad (and I believe it is), we only need one tobbacco law; no tobbacco. If it isn't so bad, stop bilking the companies out of billions when they aren't breaking the law and paying their taxes. If the money wasn't so good, tobbacco would have been dead a long time ago.

[Bononi]

Originally posted by Dr. Austin

If Tobbacco is THAT bad (and I believe it is), we only need one tobbacco law; no tobbacco. If it isn't so bad, stop bilking the companies out of billions when they aren't breaking the law and paying their taxes. If the money wasn't so good, tobbacco would have been dead a long time ago.

I tend to agree with you Doc. But there are many around here, who will not consider this way.

I have a friend which is a heavy smoker. He tried to stop many times... but failed. The last time he gave up trying to stop with an usual excuse : "I'll would die anyway..."

[Dr. Austin]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bononi
[B]

"I tend to agree with you Doc. But there are many around here, who will not consider this way."

No one wants to see the sport hurt and the loss of tobbacco money will hurt a lot. It is an artificial stimulant that the sport has thrived on. Tobbacco companies are only here because they have nowhere else to advertise. If they could go elsewhere, they would. They aren't loyal to autoracing, they just have nowhere else to pimp their deathsticks.

Autoracing is on an artifical high on tobbacco money. Other sports don't have than benefit. Face it, without the tobbacco money, all the F-1 teams will have to tighten their belts and get better at pitching conventional sponsors. Without the tobbacco money, the playing field gets a little more level. Same with CART.

The most absolutely stupid scenerio is playing itself out in the CART/IRL war. The entire deal is going to hinge on where the tobbacco companies want to spend their money. In the US, they are only allowed to compete in one series, therefore, entire tobbacco sponsored teams (maybe Penske) will have to jump ship to another league, just to get their sponsor in the 500. The most stupid part of it all is that there are only five years or so of tobbacco money left, but it is changing the entire face of the sport permanently. There is going to be a monumental cash crash when it is suddenly withdrawn (pun intended). Smart teams are getting ready for it now.

Personally, I see autoracing as the most noble of all sport, and I would prefer for it not to have this unnecessary blood on it's hands.


"I have a friend which is a heavy smoker. He tried to stop many times... but failed. The last time he gave up trying to stop with an usual excuse : "I'll would die anyway..."

Tell him to ask his doctor about Zyban. It is available as a generic drug called "Wellbutrin" that is used also as an anti depressant. If prescribed as an anti depressant, his insurance will cover it. If he has no insurance, the Wellbutrin is about one third the price of zyban. Same drug, but the smokers are getting hosed. More cigarette stupidity.

Even more stupidity; most insurance will cover all your medical expenses and operations if you get lung cancer from smoking. But they won't pay for zyban so you can stop smoking and avoid cancer. They will pay for the same drug if you are depressed, but they won't give you a nickel to help you stop smoking.

The whole cigarette thing is utterly stupid. What did you expect coming from a physician? There are better things to smoke, they just aren't legal. I do not advocate them.

[Bononi]

How much better do you think it is ?

Would you advise it for your 13 year-old son ?

Can you prevent him to reach for heavier drugs after that ?

[Crash and Burn]

Originally posted by rdjones
This just in from BBC News Online

Motorsport's world governing body will halt tobacco advertising and sponsorship after the 2006 season.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced the move on Wednesday.

The introduction of the ban has been delayed to give racing teams time to find alternative sponsorship.

Tobacco firms currently provide a large slice of financial support for the sport.

I heard it was 2007.
I would like it to be this year - I mean you have fitness freaks driving around in fag packets - so to speek.

[Dr. Austin]

Originally posted by Bononi


How much better do you think it is ?

Would you advise it for your 13 year-old son ?

Can you prevent him to reach for heavier drugs after that ?

No. It was a bad joke. I was comparing cigarettes to drugs and saying cigarettes are just as bad. I was trying to be cute about it and failed.

From what I can see, cigarettes actually damage your health more than the other. The other just makes you stupid. It wasn't a statement that the other is ok. It was a statement that cigarettes are THAT bad. Neither is any good and I really belive cigarettes should be illegal.

Why? They will kill you. Heroin is illegal because it will kill you. Opium is illegal because it will kill you so why are cigarettes any different? They only reason cigarettes are legal at all is because there is so much money for everyone from the farmers to the rotten politicians.

Are cigarettes worse than drugs? Nothing is worse than cigarettes. Our sport is absolutely shamed because of their involvement.

[Bononi]

Thanks Doc.

[Airhead]

I agree with Doc's comments, cigarette money is not the way to go.

Working in a hospital for the last 20 years, I have seen too many good people, with productive years ahead of them die a needless death to take any joy in cigarette sponsorship.

[Champ69]

I do not smoke, but I have tried twice. If cigarette companies have done something illegal than ban them. But at the moment from my knowledge they have not. There are alot of bad things going on in the world, alot of them accepted, alot of them not. Cigarette money has done a lot of good for our sport and remember we live in a world where people have choices. If sporting teams can make a living and entertain me from the profits of cigarette companies then good on them.

I am currently under the influence of grog as I write this please do not ban the grog maney as well. I home brew and I think I may send some money to Minardi. Does that make me one of those capitalist sponsors. I hope so.

P.S. I just love watching those pretty cars going round and round please do not ruin my fun and harm my sport.
(question: do drivers get dizzy doing so many laps in one direction. (Poor Cart Drivers))

[f1manoz]

With the loss of tobacco sponsorship, will this now clear the way for brewing (alcoholic beverage) concerns to start sponsoring F1 teams en masse. However, I have read that there is a law prohibiting these companies (in Britain at least) becoming major sponsors of motor sport teams.

But there is plenty of sponsorship revenue out in the big, wide world for the teams. It's just a matter of them finding it. Teams such as Williams and Arrows have managed to find non-tobacco sponsors without too much trouble.

However, all this sponsorship talk and teams going bankrupt due to lack of money etc could reopen the debate that F1 is ridiculously expensive and there has to be something to stop it otherwise the only thing left will be the manufacturers, such as Renault, Ferrari and Toyota.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Dr. Austin
.... but it is changing the entire face of the sport permanently. There is going to be a monumental cash crash when it is suddenly withdrawn ....

It also changed the face of the sport when it arrived...