Tobacco companies’ profits and countries’ fight against smoking

Tobacco companies’ profits won’t increase as U.S. markets shrink.

Today China has more smoking people than the United States has people, with over 340 million smokers, mainly men, as outlined by the World Health Organization. India has about 280 million tobacco users, whereof 205 million are the users of smokeless tobacco.

Russia presents the top smoking rate among men, at 61%, and the top smoking rate among young adults.

The Tobacco Atlas reports that tobacco companies’ profits figure up to a half trillion U.S. dollars yearly. If Big Tobacco were a country, it would have the major domestic product of nations like Poland, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Venezuela.

The Chinese government controls tobacco production and owns 39% of the world tobacco market. Philip Morris International commands twice as little.

China National Tobacco gained $91.7 billion in income and $16 billion in profits in 2010.

Tobacco companies take advantage even of revolution. As outlined by WHO’s Global Adult Tobacco Survey, when Hosni Mubarak’s government in Egypt was overthrown and smoking restrictions dropped by the wayside, tobacco companies began to advertise smoking as a way to show newly won freedom.

The New York Times published in 2010 that tobacco companies, such as Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, fought against limitations on advertisements in Britain, larger health warning labels in South America and increased cigarette taxes in the Philippines and Mexico. The tobacco companies are investing hundreds of thousands on lobbying and advertising campaigns in Africa and Asia.

Russia will impose ban on smoking in restaurants and cigarette advertising at the beginning of June 2013.

In 2011 China has introduced smoking ban in restaurants and bars and intends to ban smoking in all public places by 2015.

India prohibited smoking in most enclose public spaces in 2008.

To fight smoking in the growing countries, the Centers for Disease Control proposed the identical initiatives that have decreased cigarette consumption in the USA - reduce exposure to passive smoke, provide stopping smoking centers, information about the risks of smoking, impose bans on marketing and increase taxes on tobacco products.

via Articles of Cigarette-Deals.com