Page 3926 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 23 October 1990
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While it may be that this Bill is not the precursor to controls on other substances that we have some problems with in our society, my personal view is that advertising relating to alcohol, particularly as it affects our young people, should also be looked at very extensively. Some of you may have seen recently a television program on the ABC which referred to so-called self-regulation of alcohol advertising within our society. It was quite clear from the advertising that was shown in that program that the voluntary code of conduct that had been adopted by the industry was, in fact, being flagrantly flouted by groups within the industry.
I notice Mr Berry smiling. He probably knows what I am talking about. I think one ad was on Kahlua and milk and there has been a recent one on Jim Beam. They were advertisements that clearly flout the attempt at self-regulation. When such powerful industries have a role in our society in this way there is often a requirement for strong legislation to ensure that they do not seek to turn self-regulation to their own ends.
There is very little evidence that voluntary codes are reducing the rate of tobacco use. Commonwealth legislation bans tobacco advertising in the electronic media and new legislation will ban advertising in the print media from 28 December 1990. I think the legislation that we are debating tonight will complement this national legislation by banning other forms of tobacco advertising, including cinema advertising. I recall as a young lad seeing those great advertisements on the TV screens and on the big screen on the Saturday night - the Marlboro man; the Alpine ad; beautiful scenes; lovely people - clearly promoting something that in fact this particular material is not.
It is not glamorous. It is something that kills. That, Mr Speaker, is why it is very important that in such circumstances governments that have a responsibility for the public health of the community take action to ensure that every attempt is made to reduce the cost to our society of such self-inflicted diseases and health problems. That is what they are.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (8.15), in reply: Mr Speaker, I am pleased to sum up this debate and to say how pleased I am as Minister that this Bill has received support. I do have to say, however, that there are some aspects of the movement that the Territory has made towards the passage of this Bill which have given me some concern and some angst. All the members who have spoken in this debate tonight have supported the legislation and all those who spoke before tonight have also done so. However, the legislation has had its critics.
There have been critics who have criticised the Bill for not going far enough. There are people who have said that we should have gone further, that we should have banned all
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