Amongst Brazilian tobacco farmers, suicide rates are seven times higher then the average suicide rate reported for the rest of the country. These deaths coincide with the seeding and harvesting of tobacco plants. Many of the suicides were suffering from acute neurological imbalances. Organophosphate pesticides can result in psychological depression. Tobacco farmers use this pestercide. Any connection?

The Brazilian Ministry of Health made changes to the pesticide labelling. The new labels for highly dangerous chemicals now resemble those of less toxic products. These changes took place after the agrochemical industry applied pressure on the government. However, most farmers are illiterate and protective clothing and storage facilities are expensive. Chemicals are often stored in a house or dwelling exposing children, pregnant women and the elderly to pesticide poisoning.

The tobacco industry have investigated and patented many technologies that reduce substances in cigarette smoke that cause cancer, heart disease and emphysema. These include ‘Eclipse’, ‘Premier’ – FDA regulated devise could be used to smoke crack, and ‘Accord’ – a specially constructed cigarette and lighter. Most of these devices have been withdrawn or never implemented.

Using advanced biotechnology, tobacco crops have now been engineered and grown to contain higher levels of nicotine. These crops fit the legal definition of a drug. In 1968 Dr David Owen tried to introduce nicotine to the Medicines Act (Pharmaceutical regulations) and proposed that tobacco as such a substance the act should control cigarettes. However the plans were dropped after ministerial reshuffles within the UK government.

This consequently sees cigarettes being exempt from regulations that apply to pharmaceutical nicotine products. There by, tobacco products have a nicotine maintenance monopoly for nicotine addiction.

Death Rates

The death rate to cigarette related diseases in the UK is 120,000 p.a. That is a town the size of Norwich or Chester. In the past 40 years over 5 million people have died from smoking related diseases. That is 12 times more than in World War II.

Smoking related deaths are 6 times higher in the UK than road accidents, murder/manslaughter, poisoning, suicide, overdoses and HIV put together.

To put it into context, cocaine is an illegal class ‘A’ drug and is attributed to 140 deaths in the UK per year. Meanwhile the use of mobile telephones while driving was made illegal in the UK in 2004, 20 deaths in the last 5 years are linked to this practise. You have to ask yourself why can anyone from sixteen year old legally buy cigarettes?

China now has the largest death rate from smoking of any country overtaking the USA. A third of all men will die if current habits persist.

 1 million smoking related deaths in China in 2000

2 million smoking related deaths in China forecast by 2025

3 million smoking related deaths in China forecast by 2050 (8000 per day)

Cigarette consumption in China has risen from 100 billion cigarettes in the early 50’s to over 1,800 billion today.

Find more information about smoking in China here.

 Worldwide deaths from smoking –

4 million in 2000 -- 50/50 between developed and developing countries.

10 million by 2030 -- 70% in developing countries.

As litigation and laws surrounding the tobacco industry tighten up in USA and the EU the tobacco industry are shifting production and sales to the new markets of Russia, Poland, Cuba, Mexico, Egypt, India, South America and South Africa. There are little or no laws governing the sale of tobacco in these countries. Pressure on these governments to legislate against tobacco consumption now could save millions of deaths in the future.

If worldwide consumption of cigarettes decreased by half by 2020 25 million premature deaths in the first quarter of the century and 150 million in the second quarter of the century would be avoided.

People who stop smoking live longer, contribute to society for longer, experience improved health, lower the demand on the NHS, reduce the cost to employers in days lost to smoking related illnesses, have more money to spend and create more jobs.

Cigarettes are exempt from most forms of consumer protection because products were already in the market before consumer laws were developed. The extent of harm to consumers by cigarettes cannot reach safety standard requirements as imposed on other products.

Image if you will if you just invented a cigarette and took it onto the popular television show ‘Dragon Den’ How would you present it to the Dragons and what sort of reaction would you think you would get? Watch Dragons Den -- Duncan Bannatyne in this Quit video.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELtfKpYCGB8

Although there have been moves to restrict advertising cigarette brands, introducing health warnings and lowering tar rates in cigarettes, nicotine regulations serve the tobacco industry over public health. Tobacco companies make voluntary concessions rather than legislate. This gives an air of perceived respectability to the industry, although agreements are difficult to monitor, controls are easily evaded and there are no penalties for violations. Health warnings also work in favor of manufacturers in litigation defense cases.

Tobacco companies make a big noise of how most of their litigation cases are overthrown at appeal. The tobacco companies are at a distinct advantage over individuals, companies or evens States, because of their huge cash reserves they can tie the courts up for decades.

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Here’s is an interesting pop quiz you can do to test your knowledge on smoking and the tobacco industry.

Scroll down to the end for the answers.

Q1. Marlboro cigarettes global annual sales exceed…

A. $15 Billion                                                 B. $5 Million

C. $ 10Million                                                 D. $10 Billion

Q2. How many cigarette related deaths are there in the UK per year?

A. 12,000                                                        B. 20,000

C. 100,000                                                      D. 120,000

Q3. How many compounds or additives are there in a cigarette?

A. 600                                                             B. 160

C. 60                                                               D. 600

Q4. When a cigarette is burnt, how many toxic and/or chemical compounds are made?

A. 1000                                                           B. 2000

C. 4000                                                           D. 10,000

Q5. Which country is the largest importer of American style tobacco?

A. UK                                                             B. USA

B. Brazil                                                         D. China

Q6. How many cigarette filters are estimated to be found as litter in the westernised world?

A. 4.5 Thousand                                             B. 4.5 Million

C. 4.5 Billion                                                   D. 4.5 Trillion 

Q7. Predicted deaths from smoking for the year 2030 are…

A. 4 Million                                                     B. 6 Million

C. 8 Million                                                     D. 10 Million

Q8. Brazilian tobacco farmers have a higher than average suicide rate from the rest of the country. Is the rate…

A. 3 x Higher                                                  B. 5 x Higher

B. 7 x Higher                                                  D. 10 x Higher 

Q9. The first country in the world to ban the sale of tobacco and smoking in public places is…

A. Australia                                                     B. Bhutan

C. Ireland                                                       D. Canada

Q10. Bidis are…

A. Old people                                                 B. A healthy cigarette

C. An unfiltered cigarette                                 D. A sweet 

Q11. Philip Morris’s Youth Smoking Prevention Program advertisement on MTV Europe was called…

A. You don’t have to smoke to be cool          B. Don’t do it!

C. Cool it… a smoke?                                   D. I’m cool, I just can’t help it.

Q12. Since the ban on tobacco advertising in the UK in 2003 how many new brands have Philip Morris launched?

A. 0                                                                 B. 1

C. 2                                                                 D. 3 

Answers

Q1 (A) Philip Morris manufactures, markets, sells and distributes in more than 160 countries.

Q2 (D) 120,000 deaths a year is equivalent to the population of a town the size of Norwich or Chester.

Q3 (A) Arsenic (Rat Poison), Formaldehyde (Body Preservative), Acetone (Nail Polish Remover), Hexamine ( BBQ Lighter), Cadmium ( Rechargeable Batteries), Lead (Petrol Fumes) Methanol (Rocket Fuel) and Ammonia (Household Cleaner) are all found in cigarettes.

Q4 (C) The additives used in the manufacture of cigarettes are government approved for food. However, they were not tested by burning them. It is the burning of the substances that changes their properties. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic. i.e. cause cancer.

Q5 (B) Tobacco companies now grow and manufacture cigarettes in developing countries where overheads are less, markets are larger and anti tobacco legislation is almost non-existent.

Q6 (D) Cigarette filters are not biodegradable as cellulose acetate; a form of plastic, is one of the components that make up the butt and never breaks down.

Q7 (D) 70% of these deaths will be in developing countries.

Q8 (B) A link was found between organophosphate pesticides and skyrocketing suicides which coincided with the seeding and harvesting of tobacco crops in Venancio Aires.

Q9 (B) The Himalayan kingdom of 900,000 people banned tobacco use in early 2005 as part of its continuing tobacco-free initiative programme.

Q10 (C) Imported from India, these cigarettes contain tobacco but are wrapped in nonporous leaves and sold in a variety of flavours such as strawberry, mango and vanilla. Bidis are referred to as cigarettes with training wheels by health authorities.

Q11 (A) This initiative is dwarfed by corporate sponsorship, marketing and point of sale activity at rock concerts, formula 1 and sporting events.

Q12 (C) Basic and Marlboro Blend 28 have both been successfully launched in the dark market post advertising ban.

 Have you got what it takes to be a tobacco executive?

>> Take this cool interactive quiz  at www.thetruth.com Now <<

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