I’ve been reading about why we insist on destroying lungs and lives with tobacco and have decided after doing quite a bit of research that there’s only one reason: money. Well, even the Bible doesn’t condemn money. So I’ll amend that: greed.
Even Idaho, which grows no tobacco, manufactures no cigarettes, and has no businesses that package tobacco, still benefits from tobacco taxes and related revenues from tobacco. So we don’t support programs to help our kids choose not to smoke. We don’t pass legislation that makes it costlier to sell cigarettes in our state.
We want to keep the trickle of cash coming.
Or is there a pure motive for supporting the tobacco industry? For example, think of all of the jobs that would cease to exist if we didn’t have tobacco companies in the US. And all of the taxes that go to build schools and hospitals and other good structures and help us run our democracy—just think of the dent it would make if we didn’t have tobacco revenues to spend.
Maybe the lives of a few million Americans are a small price to pay for the benefits of tobacco. Maybe we should join with Philip Morris, Winston, and the others and help them hook our kids on tobacco to guarantee financial support for the rest of their lives, even if shortened.
I’m just getting started. Stay away if you think tobacco is harmless. Don’t read this if you want cigarettes and don’t care if they kill or sicken. If you’re really concerned about the negative effects of tobacco, let me know. Share your news, your stories, your suggestions.
Posted by hodicom 