Big Tobacco, Government And Your Health -Q Isa Daudpota

Source from:  dailytimes.com.pk 09/28/2007

Pakistan has signed an international convention that requires curtailing tobacco products and reduction of Big Tobacco's influence, including its desire to project a soft image of itself. Sadly, the highest officials continue to support tobacco companies and allow the government to enter collaborative ventures with these death peddlers Smoking isn't one of Mr Shaukat Aziz's vices. His benefactor President General Pervez Musharraf, though, is known to light up the occasional cigar. For him, it is more a symbol of power, just like the swagger stick or the Mont Blanc pen that the boastful like to display. 'No one dies of cigars', I can hear him say. 'See, Castro has had a long innings!' The prime minister with his grounding in numbers should, however, know the facts about tobacco and its harmful effects. He should also be aware of related international treaties that the government has signed and committed to follow. Pakistan is one of 146 countries that have ratified the global tobacco treaty, and in doing so has taken a great step forward in protecting the health and lives of its citizens from the tobacco epidemic. Formally known as the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the treaty aims to reverse the tobacco epidemic by changing the way tobacco corporations operate around the world. Pakistan banned indoor public smoking and all tobacco advertising in 2002. It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18 or within 50 meters of a school. Smokers who violate this law are fined heavily. Even more interesting, advertisers and sellers of tobacco who are found to violate these laws can go to prison. This is what appears on paper; in reality, the prime minister of the country is seen encouraging a tobacco company and helping to bolster its image. A colour advertisement displaying logos of the Government of Pakistan (GoP) and Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) was published in newspapers to announce the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Ghourghushti Environment Park in Attock district. This park is a collaborative effort of PTC and the GoP. In April 2007, the prime minister laid the foundation stone. Corporations like PTC (a subsidiary of British American Tobacco) and Lakson (now almost totally owned by Philip Morris/Altria) have attempted to interfere with the implementation and enforcement of the global tobacco treaty in Pakistan. These corporations use their tremendous political influence to weaken, delay and defeat tobacco control legislation around the world. Our government needs to be attentive to the tobacco industry's interference in public health policy. BAT and Philip Morris/Altria spend millions annually in an attempt to brand themselves as "socially responsible" corporations. This allows them to hide behind a glossy image while continuing to promote tobacco to children and adults around the world. Profit margins for the two Pakistani tobacco giants remain very high and they pay relatively high taxes compared to businesses of similar size, which makes them popular in the finance and tax departments. These departments, like the prime minster, fail to measure the losses incurred by tobacco usage all around. The tax collected is very small compared to the expenditure incurred by the state to treat tobacco-related diseases. Even when people realize the adverse effects of tobacco, the addiction is so strong that it is nearly impossible to give it up. They, who have been lured into this folly by slick advertising from tobacco companies fully aware of the nature of the addiction, are victims of duplicity by the death peddlers. Pakistan's tobacco industry has been a traditionally dependable source of government revenue, contributing around Rs27.5 billion per year - the equivalent of 4.4% of Pakistan's GDP. It has the largest yield of any crop and employs some 1 million people. But in the last few years, there has been growing concern about the ill effects of cigarette smoking and the impact it has had on the health and well being of Pakistanis. For instance, approximately 90% of lung cancer cases are attributable to cigarette smoking. How will PTC protect people's lungs by building environment parks? In addition to the smoker, others suffer from smoking as well, a fact that isn't as strongly realised, and we still remain tolerant towards smokers. Maybe the following data will change their minds. According to the US Surgeon General, secondhand smoke has at least 250 chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic. It contains a number of poisonous gases and chemicals, including hydrogen cyanide (used in chemical weapons), carbon monoxide (found in car exhaust), butane (used in lighter fluid), ammonia (used in household cleaners), toluene (found in paint thinners). Some of the toxic metals contained in secondhand smoke include: arsenic (used in pesticides), lead (formerly found in paint), chromium (used to make steel), and cadmium (used to make batteries). Among the 50 cancer-causing chemicals in secondhand smoke is radioactive polonium-210 (which someone used to poison former Russian KGB operative Alexander Litvinenko). Eleven compounds in tobacco smoke have been identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogens. And for smokers, as well as Mr Aziz, it may help to know some global statistics: half of all long-term smokers will die prematurely as a result of smoking - half of these in middle age. Tobacco kills 5 million around the world each year. By 2025, it is estimated that the global death toll will double to over 10 million deaths annually. That is the equivalent of 95 jet planes crashing each and every day of the year. 70% of all tobacco deaths will occur in developing countries. As existing smokers die, the tobacco industry has to find new customers. Tobacco is projected to kill 250 million children alive today if current trends continue. It was recently announced that Philip Morris acquired Lakson Tobacco, the second largest tobacco manufacturer in Pakistan. Philip Morris already owned 47% of Lakson's stock, and then bought another 50%. Lakson Tobacco is valued at Rs41.07 billion ($674.9 million). Let's see how the world tobacco leader tries to lure our gullible leaders. However much money these companies may fill our coffers with, some truths just cannot be denied. They are a net loss to the exchequer if all the losses are factored in. But the most powerful argument against these American and British companies is that they kill an awful lot more Pakistanis than the Taliban and Al Qaeda will ever destroy in our countries and elsewhere, including the home bases of these companies. Enditem