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Dependence on Big tobacco hurts public health
By People's Daily, online edition |
March 30, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S state-owned enterprises, especially those in steel, petrochemical and real estate sectors, saw a considerable drop in profits from January to February, but the tobacco industry reported a whopping increase of profits during the same period.
It's great for any enterprise to make profits, but what a price have we paid as a nation for the growth in tobacco profits?
Public health suffers. In 2000, smoking contributed to 12 percent of all kinds of deaths and now it contributes 16 percent. Every year, 1.2 million people die of direct smoking, outnumbering all the deaths from AIDS, tuberculosis and traffic accidents combined.
Despite China's promises to its citizens and to the outside world, tobacco control remains weak mainly because of the tobacco industry's economic clout. In 2011, China's tobacco industry reported 750 billion yuan (US$120 billion)in gross revenue, up 20 percent over the year before. The higher tobacco's profits, the greater China's financial dependence on the tobacco industry.
It's great for any enterprise to make profits, but what a price have we paid as a nation for the growth in tobacco profits?
Public health suffers. In 2000, smoking contributed to 12 percent of all kinds of deaths and now it contributes 16 percent. Every year, 1.2 million people die of direct smoking, outnumbering all the deaths from AIDS, tuberculosis and traffic accidents combined.
Despite China's promises to its citizens and to the outside world, tobacco control remains weak mainly because of the tobacco industry's economic clout. In 2011, China's tobacco industry reported 750 billion yuan (US$120 billion)in gross revenue, up 20 percent over the year before. The higher tobacco's profits, the greater China's financial dependence on the tobacco industry.
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