OTTAWA (CP) -- Despite vast sums spent by tobacco industry lobbyists, Health Minister David Dingwall said today the government is forging ahead with a bill curtailing cigarette sponsorship.

The tobacco legislation, tabled Tuesday in the Commons, makes minor amendments to the bill. The most significant change is a one-year phase-in period for arts and sports events before tough limits on tobacco sponsorship kick in.

"This is not a cultural bill, this is not a sports bill. It is a health bill," Dingwall told a breakfast gathering. "And as much as (the tobacco industry) has tried, the thousands of dollars that they've spent on advertising to suggest it is something else, it is a health issue."

If Dingwall's bill becomes law, the restrictions would take effect in the summer of 1998, about the same time similar restrictions are enacted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Rob Cunningham of the Canadian Cancer Society called the legislation a victory.

"The transition period is not something we support but we will have to live with it," he said. "The tobacco industry has spent millions of dollars trying to derail this. So in some respects this is a significant announcement by the government."

Dingwall also received high marks from Heather Selin of the Non-Smokers' Rights Association. "We're glad see there's been no substantive weakening of the bill," said Selin. "I think the health minister has been up against a very tough tobacco lobby."

Tobacco firms have threatened to take the issue to the Supreme Court of Canada. Dingwall did not ease restrictions which would limit advertising to the event site. Nor did he change rules that would keep cigarette company identification in the bottom 10 per cent of signs.

Cigarette logos on race cars would be banned and advertising signs would not be allowed on TV broadcasts of the events. The arts and sports communities, along with tobacco firms, have said the restrictions will kill a number of high-profile events in Canada, ranging from IndyCar and Grand Prix races to fireworks and tennis tournaments.

Dingwall said the bill merely changes the sponsorship rules, it doesn't ban sponsorships outright. "Quite clearly it is utterly false for the tobacco industry to suggest or imply in any shape or form that we are banning sponsorships," he said. "It's a corporate decision they're going to have to make. It's not a decision that I have to make."

Courtesy of LiZER Motorpsorts International, Canada