Watchdog bans advert over 'drug reference'

A promotion for cigarette papers has been banned by the advertising watchdog in Britain because it could be seen as condoning…

A promotion for cigarette papers has been banned by the advertising watchdog in Britain because it could be seen as condoning the use of cannabis.

The advert had the words "twist and" above a packet of Rizla papers with a turn at one end and "burn" on one side.

The UK Advertising Standards Authority received a complaint from a rival manufacturer who claimed the promotion "condoned the product's use for the consumption of illegal drugs".

The ASA carried out an investigation and found that, in some dictionaries, "twist" was a slang term for a cannabis joint and "burn" could be referred to smoking one.

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It added that it understood cannabis cigarettes are normally fatter than those filled with tobacco and twisted at one end to prevent the contents falling out.

Imperial Tobacco, makers of Rizla, said "twist and burn" was a phrase commonly used by motorcyclists and meant turning the bike's throttle and "burning rubber" along a road.

Although the company said it was aware "a minority" used Rizlas with soft drugs, it said "it was not its intended purpose" and it "did not condone that use".

The watchdog concluded the wording in the advert and the twisted packet "were likely to be seen by many readers as an allusion to the culture of cannabis use".

It accepted the advert had been approved by the advertising industry's vetting body but told Imperial Tobacco not to use the same promotion in the future.