NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTTS -- WELL, MAYBE JUST FOR SPORTS DEALS

          Britain's Department of Health "confirmed plans" to end
     tobacco ads on billboards by December, but "appeared to be
     softening its stance on tobacco sponsorship for global
     sporting events," according to Lucy Farndon of the WALL
     STREET JOURNAL.  The department said yesterday that
     "virtually all" tobacco sponsorship will be "phased out" by
     July 2003, with the "significant exception of 'global events
     with a high dependency on tobacco sponsorship.'"  These
     global events, including Formula One, will have an
     "additional three years to end" tobacco sponsorship, but
     "only if they cut" tobacco ads and sponsorship by "at least
     one-fifth in each of the three years."  A British American
     Tobacco exec said the British gov't "appears to be
     backtracking to include more sports [in the exemption]. In
     the beginning, it appeared that Formula One would be the
     only exception.  But now it appears to be widened to include
     other world-wide sporting events like snooker, darts and
     perhaps fishing" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/18).