In a letter published today in The Times newspaper, a group of scientists and doctors, criticised the government for allowing tobacco advertising to continue in Formula One and other sports such as snooker and cricket: "There is no point in pumping cash into the National Health Service (NHS) if you allow tobacco companies to fill the cancer, respiratory and cardiac wards by promoting smoking," the letter said.
"It is not often that ministers have the chance to do something that will make a major difference to health, be popular with the public and cost almost nothing."
The tobacco advertising ban was a Labour party manifesto commitment in both the 1997 and 2001 general elections. But it failed to pass into law during the last parliament due to lack of time.
