The preview party to Australian Fashion Week is being called a ‘disgrace’ by anti-smoking campaigners, as packets of Davidoff cigarettes were given to all as ‘complimentary’ gifts.
Commenting on the incident Australian Medical Association president Mukesh Haikerwal said,
It’s a disgraceful state of affairs when free cigarettes are given out at any event. There are people in the fashion industry who are very skinny and smoking sends the message that you need to smoke to be thin. It’s a very bad message. Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable deaths in this country and this sets an appalling example - for young women in particular.
The Health Department has announced that it will investigate the case for tobacco promotion, and check if it breached the Public Health Act under which, promoting a tobacco product by giving away free samples is a crime for which the penalty can range from a $5500 to $20,000.
Davidoff cigarettes are manufactured in Germany by the Imperial Tobacco Group. Davidoff brand manager Greg Moses said that the promotion was the first ever in Australia. Mr Moses refused to confirm any plans of similar promotional acts during Australian Fashion Week.
An unnamed event organiser revealed that the cigarettes were provided as free samples to all the guests through an association with Belvedere Vodka, which had set up a bar at the event, because advertising or promoting smoking is banned in Australia.
