Israel: Towards a total ban on tobacco advertising

Tobacco advertising could be banned completely and permanently in Israel, according to a bill approved by the National Committee on Legislation. The bill is expected to pass its first reading on Wednesday, 1^er December in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

In January 2020, the Knesset passed new legislation on advertising, including a ban on tobacco advertising in the media, the removal of shelf space (tobacco product displays at points of sale). The new regulations also provided for the introduction of plain packaging for most tobacco products, as well as the placement of health warnings on 30% of the surface of the packages, front and back.

Conflict of interest at the root of regulatory gaps

However, the adoption of this law had been deemed insufficient by several health experts public. Indeed, the law, in its ban on advertising for tobacco products, left an exception for the written press. According to the Jerusalem Post, this provision was voted following pressure from United Torah Judaism, a coalition of ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi parties. Indeed, several newspapers haredi, of religious and conservative obedience, benefit from advertising funding from the tobacco industry[1]However, to be fully effective, the ban on advertising must be exhaustive, in order to avoid a communicating vessels effect.

Israel, a global player in the fight against smoking

Historically, Israel has been a leader in the global fight against tobacco. In 1983, two decades before the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Israel passed legislation restricting tobacco advertising and banned smoking in many public places, such as cinemas, theaters, medical and educational institutions, and buses. However, the figures show that Israel is lagging behind in the fight against tobacco: while smoking prevalence has been declining since 1970, it appears to have stagnated at around 20% over the past decade. Part of the slow progress can be attributed to interference from manufacturers, who notably defeated an amendment to restrict tobacco advertising and marketing. However, when it comes to new products, Israel appears to have neutralized some of the tobacco industry's strategies. The country has imposed plain packaging and health warnings for heated tobacco products and aligned taxation with that of manufactured cigarettes.[2].

©Tobacco Free Generation

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