The shennanigans of big tobacco

On March 7, 1962, the Royal College of Physicians of London published Smoking and Health, a landmark report linking smoking as a cause of lung cancer, heart disease, bronchitis, and other respiratory and pulmonary diseases. A veritable mountain of evidence about the health issues caused by smoking and second hand smoke followed.

The response by the tobacco industry over the past 50 years has been to deny, undermine, negate the research,  call for more research, fund bogus research, propose self-regulation and oppose every initiative that might reduce smoking.

As illustrated by the litigation leading to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) in November 1998 and the associated discovery disclosures, the tobacco industry has a long history of misleading and deceptive conduct in the market and sale of its product.

That sordid history of deception continues:

• 8 March 2012: According to the first US Surgeon General's report on youth tobacco use since 1994, tobacco industry marketing is fuelling teenage addiction, with many of America's teens smoking cigarettes and using smokeless tobacco. The report concludes that the tobacco's industry's $10 billion annual marketing spend is aimed to young people to get them to begin, and continue, their use of tobacco.
• Source: USA Today, 8/03/12, http://usat.ly/yXGuSx

Click here to see The Big Tobacco Story: A story of lies, fraud and deceit.

"Emerging Markets"

To replace the shrinking markets in Australia, Europe and the United States, Big Tobacco is now targeting "emerging markets" in places like Indonesia, China, and Central and South America. Check out Sex, Lies and Cigarettes by clicking on our YouTube button for an eye-opener about Big Tobacco's shameful strategies as documented undercover  at Tobacco's 2010 convention in Indonesia.