Europe Considers Banning "Light" Wording on Cigarettes October 30, 2000
News Summary
The European Union is preparing a proposal that would ban such terms as "light," "mild" and "low tar" from cigarette packages, the Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 27.The legislation, currently being drafted for the 15 countries in the European Union, also would quadruple the size of health warnings on cigarette packages.
The measure would go into effect in 2003. It is expected that such a ban would impact premium brand names, which account for 30 percent of European cigarette sales.
In preparation for the ban, cigarette companies are looking for new ways to communicate the "light" and "mild" message. For instance, Benson Hedges Lights is focusing on color, using silver to distinguish the light cigarettes from the gold on packs of regular cigarettes.
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