Ignoring cancer risk

The preliminary results for the 2004 financial year of the West Indian Tobacco Company (WITCO) show that the company’s after tax profits rose by 11.5 percent, a demonstration that despite warnings linking tobacco use to cancer, people were still spending more money on smoking. Ironically, the jump in sales and profits came in the same year that Trinidad and Tobago ratified the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which is aimed at effecting a steady decrease in the use of the cancer inducing narcotic. It means that tobacco use increased despite constant warnings as to the dangers involved, including a statement by the President of the Cancer Society, Dr George Laquis, in August that 100 million persons died in the 20th century from tobacco use.  It should be noted that Dr Laquis had been speaking out for years against tobacco smoking.
 
Dr Laquis, quoted statistics which pointed  out that the tobacco industry had cost the world $200 billion in the same period. He cautioned about the dangers posed by secondary smoke.  However, despite the general concern, as evidenced by its signing of the WHO Framework Convention, and the Cancer Society President’s frightening statistics, smokers have opted, not merely to proceed as usual, but rather to increase usage of tobacco. There are those who believe that a Government must save people from themselves. But there are dangers in such a position. What can be done however is to increase as rapidly as possible the public places defined as out of bounds for smoking. Meanwhile, there must be an ongoing public relations campaign warning users, secondary users and potential users of the implicit dangers of tobacco use. It should point out that smoking is no less a suicidal tendency than that of having unprotected sex and that each is indicative of the mindless game of Russian roulette that all too many persons appear willing to play. Those who want to continue smoking despite the warnings can do as they please.
 
The figures of the preliminary announcement of results for WITCO financial year ended December 31, showed gross profits rising to $231,645,000 last year, up from $197,604,000 in 2003, while the operating profit reached $138,666,000 in 2004 an increase of more than $17 million over that of the previous year’s  $121,560,000. Revenue from taxes on profits moved from $34,558,000 in 2003 to $41,559,000 in 2004. We know the risks involved, tuberculosis, lung cancer among others.  The choice is ours to make.