American tobacco vs. Canadian law - you decide

Rep. Jim Battle of South Carolina's article published on scnow.com serves as a reminder of how influential the tobacco industry remains at all level of politics.

His article bemoans the impact that the Canadian government's decision to ban flavoured tobacco products, which have been specifically designed to appeal to young people, will have. He says that this will have an effect on South Carolina's revenues as a major tobacco producer and must be stopped.

It is mind-boggling that anyone would place the interests of tobacco companies over public health and in particular, youth smoking. Then again, Mr. Battle is a good friend of Big Tobacco and his work in defence of them has netted campaign contributions from Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Lorillard, US Tobacco and Brown & Williamson.

Rather than propping up an industry that is already spectacularly profitable and that kills nearly half-a-million North Americans every year, perhaps South Carolina's legislators ought to be looking for new opportunities to replace the tobacco industry, which, like many of its' customers is in terminal decline.

Gosh, politics really is a dirty game...

Tobacco is tobacco is tobacco...

In his blog at the right-wing, libertarian Cato Institute site Cato@Liberty, David Boaz says that because Philip Morris is not fighting alongside their fellow tobacco companies to overturn new advertising restrictions, we should say that this is not about "Big" Tobacco, but "Medium" Tobacco.

But I think there's a much more interesting observation here: Why aren't Philip Morris fighting along with the rest of the industry? Why are they now accepting the same advertising restrictions that througohut the 1970s and 1980s they fought tooth and nail against? I hate to sound cynical, but if all advertising is banned, no-one will ever be able to take over Philip Morris's No.1 position as market leader. No wonder Philip Morris want this ban just as much as the tobacco-control advocates, albeit for completely different reasons!

Is PM's position altruism or self-interest? You decide.