Land of Tobacco: China's Deadly Addiction

While I may be concerned about the toll the tobacco industry and their minions take on the number of Americans who smoke, I'm still very grateful about being born an American as opposed to being born in China. For the most part, we value our citizens. Chinese male children (and secondhand smokers) seem doomed to a life of nicotine addiction and all of the health consequences associated with it.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of cigarettes. According to PBS Newshour, there are more than a trillion cigarettes produced; more than 300 million smokers, 740 million second-hand smokers, and, by 2020, some two million annual deaths related to smoking.

At >300 million smokers, there are more smokers in China than the entire population of Americans. Smoking is the leading cause of death in China, and by 2050, the number of deaths from tobacco-related causes is expected to triple - to some THREE MILLION people each year!

And what can be done to reverse this continuous Chinese genocide?

Except for public education and good parenting, not much if you ask me. Like I posted before, the Chinese Government is behind their own leading cause of death.

The Chinese tobacco market is dominated by the China National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC), which is a government-owned monopoly, and generates significant income for the Chinese Government.

If the Government truly valued their citizens, they would have privatized this business long ago. They can't effectively both market their products while trying to prevent tobacco use. It's a serious conflict of interest that anyone with half-a-brain could figure out is NOT going to happen.

Of course, China may tell WHO that they will be instituting programs aimed at significantly reducing tobacco use in their country. But like everywhere else in the world, while politicians talk a good game, it's always their actions that eventually belie their true intentions.


Source: PRI's The World: Cancer's New Battleground - The Developing World