Topic: Global tobacco report outlines 21 challenges for 21st century

[sam]

A new American Cancer Society report outlines 21 challenges and needs for global tobacco control, covering the wide range of issues to be addressed and expertise needed to reduce the rising tide of tobacco use worldwide, particularly in the low- and middle-income nations that are the target of the multinational tobacco industry. The report is published early online and will appear in the January/February issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

http://www.physorg.com/news183381480.html

[Rik]

While I'm totally against smoking, I wonder what the downside of weaning people off would be. Less tax revenue, which would have to be made up from somewhere, longer lives, which would be a cost both socially (care) and medically. A large population, putting more pressure on housing and other facilities, plus greater pressures on food supply.

Just playing Devil's Advocate...

[Clive]

Yes, people have to die sometime don't they?  The very best we can do is delay the fateful day by a few years or so.  And those few years will be vey costly to a society that has a social infrastruture like ours.  In third world countries the family look after each other whereas in western countries they expect the state to care for the old, sick and poor. 

[Rik]

Increasingly, Clive, the tax burden on young people to support an increasing ageing population, is going to become unbearable, literally. Government, of whatever colour, really needs to take a long term view of things - but they are never interested in anything much over five years ahead.

[Simon]

Surely the savings on cancer treatments would go somewhere towards the deficit of tobacco taxes?

[Rik]

It would, but by no means the whole way, and the chances are they would go on to develop other costly illnesses, eg obesity leading to diabetes.

[Lona]

My sister, who lives in Richmond, Virginia, the land which got rich on the manufacturing of tobacco products, complains to me that Sir Francis Drake has a lot to answer for. .

She was a non smoker when she first settled in the USA in 1965 but was encouraged to smoke by the Americans as you were looked down on by the company her hubby worked for if you didn't smoke as that was one of their main products.

Now having come full circle she is now looked down on by the same folk for smoking.  She can be quite comical when she says that America can't look after all their sick people because they have lost all the revenue that they used to get from tobacco.

As she says it was the Amercans who made her an addict but now she can't go out anywhere to have a fag.

[Simon]

Presumably, she wouldn't use that exact terminology over there. 

[Rik]

[Lona]

I wouldn't be surprised if she did, Simon, she's worse than me when it comes being different or should I say difficult. 

[davy51]

She is right going out to have a smoke is becoming impossible here
And whether she calls it a fag or smoke not many would pay attention

I smoke pipe and don't inhale but I get the same treatment as any who smoke cigarettes and do


I enjoy the flavors and a peaceful feeling that comes with the enjoyment of a pipe which is much different than a cigarette



Keep in mind the American Cancer Society receives a lot of federal funds to spread what they want others to believe its in the billions

Some of it is downright propaganda