The tobacco industry would like us to believe that they assist the economy of Third World countries. This is supposed to be in the form of income and revenue to the state coffers, and payments to farmers and workers in the tobacco industry. The facts hardly bear this out.
For one thing, the amount of money used to compensate for the effects of tobacco use (as a result of illness and death) is some three times more than the amount of revenue and income to tobacco workers. Secondly, deforestation is a big problem. Curing the tobacco over wood fires calls for the widespread felling of trees, which is a prelude to soil erosion and desertification. Finally, much of the profits from tobacco sales is sent to wealthy countries and does not benefit the tobacco-growing countries.
In reality, we are being fooled by the tobacco industry. Unable to promote tobacco use in the developed world, the manufacturers have a free hand in doing so in the developing countries. Their advertising claims that smoking helps performance in sports and gives the impression that to be successful means to smoke; after all, successful "westerners" smoke, they claim. These messages are inaccurate, false and unethical.
The situation echoes the words of U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy when he opened the first world conference on smoking and health in 1967. He said : "The cigarette industry is pedding a deadly weapon; it is dealing in people's lives for financial gain."
How true those words are ! Is it not time we cease to encourage this deadly habit, for our heart's sake ? IF YOU SMOKE, QUIT. IF YOU DON'T SMOKE, DON'T START ! Your heart will be better off without tobacco.
WORLD HEALTH. January-February 1992. (p.9)