ADVERTISING STANDARDS COMPLAINTS BOARD
PO Box 10-675 Wellington
Telephone (04) 472-7852
Facsimile (04) 471-1785
Email asa@asa.co.nz
Website www.asa.co.nz
06/081
DECISION
Acting Chairman’s Ruling
13 March 2006
Complaint 06/081
Complainant: A. Anderson
Advertisement: The Quit Group
Complaint: The television advertisement said: “Every cigarette you smoke is doing you
damage. Every time you breathe smoke in, it leaves tar in your lungs … Call the Quit Line
on 0800 ….”. A graphic then showed a healthy lung being dissected and then contaminated
with a vessel full of tar.
Complainant, A. Anderson, said the advertisement about the results of cigarette smoking
which was played during afternoon programmes, was “shocking” as it was “nasty” and it
should be taken off air.
The relevant provisions were Rules 5 and 11 of the Code of Ethics.
The Acting Chairman noted A. Anderson’s point of view. She took into account that
afternoon programmes before 3pm were, in general, directed at an adult audience. She then
referred to Decision 04/326 which concerned a similar complaint about a similar issue. That
Decision said:
“The Chairman noted the socially responsible message advocated by the advertisement and
the provision in Rule 11 for robust expression in such advertisements. Furthermore, he said
the time at which it had been screened, 6.15pm on Channel 3, was during the News, which
was targeted at a mature audience, definitely not young children, and many news items were
also of a similarly graphic and adult nature. Accordingly, the advertisement had been
prepared and shown with a due sense of social responsibility and did not meet the threshold
to cause serious or widespread offence, effecting a breach of the Advertising Codes.
The Chairman ruled the Complaint be Not Accepted.”
Accordingly, the Acting Chairman said there was no apparent breach of the Advertising
Codes as Decision 04/326 applied.
Acting Chairman’s Ruling: Complaint No Grounds to Proceed