Response to Time Magazine - Smoking Will Kill 1 Billion People

Smoking Will Kill 1 Billion People

Original Article By Tiffany Sharples

DPA / Landov

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One billion people will die from tobacco-related causes by the end of the century if current consumption trends continue, according to a global report released Thursday by the World Health Organization


No-one has far as I've seen, has covered the issue from an economic perspective. There are various charities that try to push the massive cost to society - you too will probably see the whole thing as a massive drain as a resources, and a huge cost.

But having looked over it again and again, and done the maths, the only reason why this is all happening is because its a money maker.

I'm not into conspiracy theories, and i might even push this as an -'anti-conspiracy'. However the amount of lives at stake is so huge, and the amounts of money so large, that is a direct correlation between 'money in' and 'lives lost'

The governments are on the inside, all around the world. There is this economic formula, that once tapped into too, turns the whole thing round on its head.

The interesting thing here is that some of the African countries - often considered behind other countries in regard to evolution - are actually in the middle of this now. They have seen the big tobacco companies go in there, and they are seeing the beginings of what will be a tidal wave of tobacco-related deaths.

Of course, the natural response from the government is to sue the tobacco companies (this is the natural thing to do). However as soon as the money men are brought in, its easy to balance out the sheets. Add a bit of tax here and there, put the price up - but not too much now that its profitable, and hey presto. A money printing machine from the company you were going to take to court.

It is the countries addiction to tobacco taxation that is the issue. Not the consumers. They are merely being used as money launderers where they trade their life for cash.

The two interesting things here, which add to the issue, is the savings made by people dieing early, especially when they are no longer working.

Also, most smokers believe they will give up at some unknown future date, but are sadly talked into continuing due to a variety of things from strategic pricing (have you ever seen a packet of cigarettes costing more than an hours pay?) and positioning of tobacco products. According to psychologists, the most important position in the shop is next to, or behind the check-out. Philip Morris Dominates this space in almost every country in the world. They walk away scot-free, because after all, they are doing the governments concerned a favour by producing magic cash (in times of recession this is even more important), and as PM owns general foods, Nabisco, craft, miller beer, etc, they are the most powerful supplier in the store. This is why tobacco kiosks are a key part of the design of supermarkets. The tobacco manufacturers insist.

There are several reason why this is happening, which I won't go into at this point. However, the whole process can be directly traced back to the United Nations WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Rather ironically, The Marlboro Man is riding faster than ever before into sunsets from Poland to rural China, and inside the UN buildings, they still smoke.