F1 drops Canadian GP over tabacco ban

[Jerome]

Thursday, August 7

Race organizer says tourism will suffer
Associated Press


MONTREAL -- The Canadian Grand Prix was dropped from the 2004 Formula One calendar Thursday because of anti-tobacco legislation.


The decision leaves only one Formula One race in North America -- the U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis.


Michael Schumacher, right, held off his brother Ralf to win last June in Montreal.

[image]http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/rpm/2003/0615/photo/a_schumachers_i.jpg[/image]



Race organizer Normand Legault said he was notified in a letter from Formula One officials.


The legislation was announced in 1997 and Legault told a news conference the Montreal race received a seven-year grace period before tobacco sponsors had to be dropped.


Legault said organizers made their decision based on Canada's and Quebec's legislation.


"So basically what that means for next June's event is that Michael Schumacher's Ferrari could not sport Marlboro's colors and Jacques Villeneuve's car could not have Lucky Strike on it,'' he said.


The weekend event has drawn crowds of more than 300,000.


"There will be an important negative impact on Montreal's tourism,'' Legault said.


In Belgium, Parliament recently voted to ease a ban on tobacco advertising in an attempt to get the Belgian Grand Prix back on the Formula One calendar next year. That race was dropped from the 2004 schedule by the sport's world governing body.

[NOITALL]

[img]/images/graemlins/greddy.gif[/img]

canada sux

[Snake Bitten]

Nice!

So a canadian can smoke pole on the steps of Parliament in Ottawa...but they can't smoke a freakin Marlboro...

[Jerome]

Originally Posted by Snake Bitten

Nice!

So a canadian can smoke pole on the steps of Parliament in Ottawa...but they can't smoke a freakin Marlboro...

We have a Winner!!!!!!!!

[SRT Mike]

I know I never started to smoke until I saw an F1 car with Marlboro on it! Damn advertising with words forcing me to smoke. I'm glad they got rid of it! It's THEIR FAULT, never mine!

[Genetic Cesspool]

Originally Posted by SRT Mike

I know I never started to smoke until I saw an F1 car with Marlboro on it! Damn advertising with words forcing me to smoke. I'm glad they got rid of it! It's THEIR FAULT, never mine!

HAHAHA!!
Exactly!

I mean, I've seen Canadian politicians on TV but it hasn't made me go get a lobotomy, why would seeing a cigarette brand name cause me to smoke?

Damn idiots running this country.

Anyone have a job for me in Texas, Arizona, or Florida? I've been wanting to move down there since I was 10 or so.

[Toby]

the real reason they were dropped...they needed an opening as they will be racing in China next year...one of the biggest unregulated consumer bases in the world...the tobacco companies have billions of customers to fight over.

And now for the rest of the story.

[Tie]

I think it's great how PC is starting to bite the libs in the ass. Well, you don't like our tobacco sponsored teams, Hmmmmm, Well I guess we will take our multi-billion dolar industry somewhere else.

Lowering restrictions on tobacco advertising to keep the F-1 races. I suppose money is more important than than the silly PC laws they pass.

Very funny to see assholes do the backstroke.

[remster]

Be On Edge
Bitten Heroes

I find the tobacco ads people pretty imaginative with their alternate names when they can't put the real brand name on the car.