Just a quick comment on a health issue. Recently I came across these
statistics on tobacco:
Average Tax per pack of Cigarettes (in US dollars, 1992):
Norway $3.93
Denmark $3.64
Canada $3.25
England $3.09
Germany $1.95
France $1.29
Italy $1.12
Japan $0.95
Greece $0.53
USA $0.51
Why is it that the USA has such a low tax on cigarettes, when it seems to be
so outspoken on the serious health risks posed by tobacco? Think of how
much money the USA could put to good use if it raised tobacco taxes to the
level of its Canadian neighbour alone!
It is also of interest to note that the prestigious 1994 New England Journal
of Medicine found that the American Medical Association "gave significantly
larger average contributions to House members who favored tobacco-export
promotions than to those who opposed it" (Sharfstein J et al 'Campaign
contributions from the American Medical Political Action Committee to Members
of Congress' Jan 6, 1994, p32).
Then, when US trade representatives fought to have the antismoking health
measure sin Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, S Korea and other Far Eastern countries,
the incidence of teenage smoking increased markedly. For example, when Korea
was forced to lift restrictions on US made cigarettes, smoking among teenage
girls tripled ('Philip Morris: Death, Disease and Duplicity' in
Multi-National Monitor Dec 1994: 14). I also seem to recall a survey which
showed that the starting age for smokers has now decreased to 12 years.
Are there some important facts being hidden from us? Many of us on groups
such as this almost take it for granted that smoking is hazardous to one's
health and that the problem is on its way out. Maybe we are still being too
complacent about this.
Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA
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