Smoking and International Issues

USA: The number 1 worldwide exporter of cigarettes

!!!!! 118.5 billion in 1988 !!!!!
• 31% of the US crop is exported
• From 1954 to 1984 the food for peace program of the US Department of Agriculture included shipments of tobacco products to the hungry countries of the world...
• An amendment to section 301 of the 1974 trade act enlists the US Government to use or threaten trade sanctions against countries not permitting the sale of US tobacco products. Recently this was in active use against Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.
• Exported tobacco products are not required to comply with US standards for disclosure of tar and nicotine content, as well as quality control standards regarding concentrations of additives, herbicides and pesticides. Warning labels, restrictions on advertising and consumer protection from false representation do not apply to exported US made cigarettes.
  
  Brand names of exported cigarettes include long life, sportsman, life, prosperity island and new paradise.
  
  In Brazil the annual advertising budget for US cigarettes exceeds the country's national budget for health research.
  
  
• Asia is a rapidly growing market for tobacco companies and in China there are 10000 smoking related deaths per week!!!
  
  Advertising strategies for exported US cigarettes include sponsoring of sporting events, free samples, and free admission to discotheques in exchange for empty cigarette cartons . . .
  
  The US government allows tobacco companies to deduct 100% of their cigarette advertising costs for tax purposes.

Growth of the foreign market parallels the reduction in the domestic market:

Cigarette consumption is on the decline in the US while marked increases have been noted in developing countries . . .
- up 300% in Papua New Guinea
- up 400% in India
- up 33% in Africa, 24% in Latin America

Increases in tobacco related diseases have been documented as well, with mortality from lung diseases up by 600% in India.

As a crop, tobacco is the most widely grown non food crop in more than 120 countries.

The US tobacco industry incites and aids farmers to start growing tobacco using tax deductible financial incentives, technical expertise, free seeds and fertilizers. An added incentive is their guarantee of short term profits from foreign exchange following the harvest.

Despite gains from the employment of unskilled laborers and the generation of tax revenues, developing countries face long term losses from:

- diversion of land resources away from food crops and grazing
- health care costs from tobacco related illnesses
- environmental damage due to pollution from fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides
- losses of forests . . . wood smoke curing of tobacco requires 1 acre of forest to cure each acre of tobacco crop.
Malawi has lost 1/3 of its trees to tobacco curing
In Tanzania 12% of its trees are felled each year for curing

The US government asks other governments to curb exports of cocaine and other substances of abuse while it directly and indirectly subsidizes a tobacco industry that causes more harm to society than all other known substances of abuse combined, even allowing for the loss of revenue from the underground economy and crime costs.

Ownership of tobacco company stocks represents indirect endorsement of the industry's practices. Several prominent us hospitals and medical schools have been pressured to give up their investment holdings in the tobacco industry, thanks to individual and group efforts, notably through the American Medical Association. Aid in divestiture can be obtained through the Clean Indoor Air Educational Foundation: 617 266-6130

Other related links

• Tobacco Industry Information
• Tobacco Industry Political Expenditures
• Tobacco Industry Targeting of Youth, Minorities and Women
• Some examples of sponsorship of sport and arts by tobacco
• Ending the exploitation of sport and arts to promote tobacco
• Worldwide trends in tobacco consumption and mortality
• Tobacco holdings of US Mutual Funds