On October 1st, 2000 the streets became safer for Canadian children.

For the first time in a decade, children were able to walk to school and to their friends' homes without risk of exposure to tobacco advertising.

The provisions of Canada's federal Tobacco Act which require that tobacco-related billboards and retail signs be taken down came into effect on October 1, 2000. After this day, tobacco companies may only advertise:

• In newspapers and publications with at least 85% adult readership

• Through direct mail to adults (see related article)

• In places where children are not allowed by law ·

• On the sites of sponsored events (and these ads may only be for the sponsorship)

The Tobacco Act and related regulations can be found on Health Canada's web-site.

It took 12 years to get this far.

In 1988, the Canadian parliament was one of the first countries to pass a sweeping ban on all forms of tobacco promotion. In theory, this act should have totally eliminated tobacco advertising by 1991. Unfortunately, the tobacco companies were allowed to exploit a loophole and switched to sponsorship-advertising to maintain keep lifestyle promotions for cigarettes.

(To allow arts and sports groups to continue to receive funding, the 1988 law allowed sponsorships to continue under the name of the corporation which funded them.  The companies set up new companies --like Players Racing Inc -- to abuse this provision.)

In 1995, the Supreme Court struck down the 1988 act because the government had failed to provide satisfactory evidence that a total ban was necessary. The replacement legislation - the Tobacco Act - was passed in 1997. It did not ban advertising, but restricted it to non-lifestyle advertisements placed in selected venues only. The grace period before sponsored promotions were similarly restricted was extended to October 2000.

On October 1, 2003, further restrictions on tobacco promotion come into effect as all forms of sponsorship promotion are banned.

 Billboards like these became illegal in Canada on October 1, 2000

Because of the loophole in the 1988 law, sponsorship promotions became the prime advertising vehicle for tobacco companies and the main sticking point when government tried to curb cigarette promotions. The market for tobacco sponsorship had become inflated, and many groups had become dependent on tobacco marketing dollars.

Canadian tobacco companies have changed and have reduced their advertising, but have not eliminated it.  New forms of retail promotion (like CART.COM) have replaced Players Racing signs at retail.  In newspapers and in direct mail, promotion continues.

It's your world .... markets BAT cigarettes through celebrity endorsements.