I grew up in a society where most people are smoking (including my parents and teens on their own) and, where smoking was part of the fabric of everyday life. Saturation advertising has been a part of it. Nonsmokers were of odd. No more, I am happy to report.
But that’s another story for Maori. Tobacco dependence is one of the most insidious evils of a protracted European colonization. To mark the World Day of tobacco smoke on May 31 Te Reo Marama (the Maori coalition of tobacco smoke) had a full page ad in the newspaper Christchurch Star (29/5/06). I would be interested to know how many of the running because it is used very strong language against large and powerful transnational corporations (TNCs).
A coalition of Maori smoke is not limited to its bombardment of tobacco TNCs isolated security of New Zealand. In April 2006 two of its members joined in the stomach of the beast, namely the annual meeting of shareholders, “the giant corporation Philip Morris, New Jersey, USA. They went there with a specific complaint – that in 2005 the company sold a brand of cigarettes in Israel called” Maori Mix “, featuring Maori designs and a map of New Zealand (Maori designs used in all sorts of international foods, but it requires the use of” exotic “for new and very cynical, low, given the fact that tobacco companies have done for Maori). And to the surprise U.S. and international campaigns against tobacco, they came out with a public apology from the CEO Altria, parent company of Philip Morris, who said that it was a “mistake” and that the Maori designs were lifted in 2005.
Shane Bradbrook, director of the Coalition, said: “The Maori make excuses, but we can not accept that this is a mistake. They spend millions of dollars, and they never make mistakes. It’s always on purpose … I really did not care about getting apologies; it was more of a facade for them. This is a victory for all New Zealanders, Maori and who support us. This is a huge victory”
“In his statement, Mr. Bradbrook read Altria shareholders and management; he said that he was there to represent the Maori, whose culture has been used to sell tobacco products.” Let me tell you, this product is called a mixture of absolute insult to the Maori people of my. Assign your company and use our culture to sell your product from disease and death to Israelis was at least culturally insensitive – and at worst another form of oppression and violence that indigenous peoples face for decades. I stand before you to keep you in absolute contempt and ridicule. I do not expect an apology or a little glib rationale from you for the connection of our culture of Maori Mix. But I have a message for you: Do not mutilate, do not associate our proud culture with deceitful practices and products “(things Site” Tobacco giant apologizes to Maori, “4/28/06).
Hone Harawira launches campaign to tobacco smoke in New Zealand 2010
Maori are the vanguard in the fight against tobacco in the TNC. To mark the World Day of tobacco smoke, Maori Party MP Hone Harawira, began a campaign against smoking in New Zealand in 2010. Reformed smoker for 15 years, he stressed that his campaign was not aimed at smokers (who should feel distinctly took on already), but in the tobacco multinational corporation “, and the poison they sell to us … But it’s not just Maori or – Tobacco kills 4500 Kiwis each year. If any other product, it will be banned tomorrow, “(Press, 1/6/06,” wants to be a member of NZ smoking by the year 2010 “). Harawira has announced that he would submit a bill to make the production, manufacture and sale of tobacco products illegal. He outlined his case against the tobacco TNCs in the future articles in the press (07/06/06, “Make NZ smoking by 2010”).
“The other day I came across a litter of cigarette butts outside the parliament – Pall Mall, Horizon, rallies and many others. As I thought it was like counting the coffins, and it occurred to me that he will not be long before one of these coffins would be for one of my parliamentary colleagues. British American Tobacco (BAT), which sells the majority of tobacco products in New Zealand and around the world, counting as well, but that does not count the coffins, as I do – it expects to customers instead.
“BAT claims that its customers drive everything he does, and its chief executive Paul Adams said that while their products pose a risk to health, and the industry may be considered controversial, they are legitimate, and calls for a ban are rare. Well, I started to fight with companies such as this, and against people like Adams. I do this with the support many others who have offered their assistance, and on behalf of over two million other Kiwis who want this poison in Aotearoa …
“… Tobacco was the day in America and Europe, and now companies like BAT are looking for other places to win in Africa, Asia, Pacific and China. They are colonizing places even America can not get to … In its focus on the poor, indigenous peoples and youth tobacco companies to prove that they are no different from any other organ of oppression. They have no conscience about selling a product that kills our people, and if you do not believe me, here’s a quote from the tobacco PR: “We do not smoke this shit. We reserve the right to sell it to young, poor, black and stupid”
“I set a goal to get the tobacco companies from that country to the December 10, 2010 … And the best idea I’ve heard today is that we present awards to people for their good work to stop the deaths caused by tobacco in Aotearoa. Idea is that the awards for five years, and that the World Day of tobacco smoke in 2011, we give the people of Aotearoa award for our hard work to rid our society of this disease once and for all. ” Of course, not only in Harawira taking on tobacco multinationals and government which is doing very nicely out of tax revenues from the sale of tobacco products, one of the most reliable in the so-called “sin taxes” (alcohol and gambling are different and, presumably, prostitution Now, when it was legalized).
Family Dead Addict tobacco loses it
BAT is, of course, familiar to readers of Watchdog. Although never a winner of the award, Roger (not otherwise), it was a regular finalist and winner. It would seem that Hong Harawira throughout the war on tobacco TNCs have a greater chance of success than the strategy of a single battle in court on behalf of the dead individual tobacco addicts. In the U.S. tobacco TNCs have had losses in civil court in the hundreds of billions of dollars received from them in a class action on behalf of injured smokers. But in New Zealand, the only action the court has brought on behalf of the tobacco addicts was won by WD and HO Wills and its owner, BAT and New Zealand. Janice Pou Invercargill smoke 30 cigarettes a day since 1968, and died of lung cancer in 2002 at the age of 51. Before his death, she brought a claim for $ 310,966 damages against BAT and testament, her two children to continue after her death.
But in May 2006, four years, the case ended in victory for the tobacco multinationals with the ruling Justice Lang, that: “Even if Mrs. Pou was not aware of the dangers of smoking in 1968, she was aware of these risks to the year 1974. After that, she elected to continue to smoke and do not take reasonable steps to quit, despite the opportunity to do so “(Press, 4/5/06,” The family loses its tobacco suit “). So it’s probably the fault of the addict for his feet are not addictive. Now, I personally know that it is possible to quit smoking has been shown, as my late father and my wife, who between them have been smokers for decades.
Regulation of market forces to consider it as heroin, scare tactics
Not all groups to support tobacco control campaign to ban Harawira. For example, action to combat smoking and (ASH) Health director Becky Freeman wrote (smoke-Times, April 2006, “to ban or not to ban: This is the question?”): “Well, I do not think that decision would be so easy. First of all, however, use of tobacco on health and social justice, and not one for the police and courts to manage their own … For me the main question is not whether or not we need to make sales and deliveries of tobacco illegal, the question is, how can we get smoking low enough to sell and supply of tobacco is no longer a profitable industry. The tobacco industry makes billions of dollars, killing his best customers. They should not be able to continue to do so.
“Instead, ASH suggests that we need immediate action to regulate the free market that the tobacco industry currently enjoys. Remove control the sale, supply, marketing and product development from the hands of industry and put it in the hands of public health will go a long way to elimination of illness and death due to tobacco use. Thus, the tobacco companies is not just motivated by profit, as in the corporate model, but they are motivated by public health goals with a clear chronology of constantly “going out of business “.
On a similar line, leading the researchers Wellington Health, George Thomson and Nick Wilson, called for tobacco to be available only through a non-profit supply system as that used for methadone to replace heroin, so that the treatment of tobacco in the same way as the deadliest illegal drugs (George Thomson and the earlier work of Nick Wilson, see the review by Jeremy Agar them “the tobacco industry in New Zealand: A Case Study of conduct for transnational companies”, in Watchdog 101, December 2002.
One more, one more time honored approach to scare the crap out of smokers. In May the government announced it was considering putting graphic images of rotting teeth and gums, throat cancer and gangrenous legs on cigarette packs. Damien O’Connor, Deputy Minister of Health, said: “In a country where we pride ourselves on our open-healthy options, our smoking rates remain alarmingly high” (10/05/06, press release, “Graphic warnings on the horizon smokers”). In New Zealand, 24% smoke, compared with 19% in Australia. The introduction of these horrific images on cigarette packets is not required for New Zealand, but the commitment to its membership in the groundbreaking Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). New Zealand ratified the treaty in 2005 and has, therefore, to fully comply with its requirements for health warnings in early 2008. FCTC is the first international agreement, pushed by the World Health Organization, and this was due to the life of an international network of transnational tobacco liability, of which the CAFCA is proud to be a member, although it is very symbolic. Watchdog reported on the FCTC for years (most recently in “Landmark Tobacco Control Treaty currently in force” in 109, August 2005. Now it’s up to the signatory States such as New Zealand to make it work.
Merchants of Death is always looking for new sales gimmick
Not that tobacco TNCs are in danger of ruin just yet. BAT New Zealand British parents have paid their dividends in the amount of nearly $ 147 million in 2004, which he ascribes to the loyalty of its customers. Plus, these merchants of death and illness are always looking for new ways to sell their drug benefit – a very high price of a pack of cigarettes ready led to a proportional increase in the sales roll their own smokes. And they insist on NZ to lift the ban on snus – ground tobacco is similar to the tobacco contained in a package, like a miniature package. Customers place a bag between the upper lip and gum and absorb nicotine through the mucous membranes of the mouth. On the one hand, eliminates the smoke, but on the other hand, it provides nicotine directly into the user’s system, which makes it very exciting. Ministry of Health argues that there is currently no intention to revise the legal ban on snus.
There has been no shortage of suggestions about how to cope with the plague of tobacco addiction. CAFCA as such does not have a policy – one of the benefits is not a political party – and the discussion on this topic have led to a number of replies Committee (which includes a veteran of the heavy smoker, who gave quite recently). But the use of editorial privilege, and strictly speaking personally, I Hon. The ban bastards, get them out of business, close them, and simmer smoke. Treat them as criminals and drug dealers that they have. New Zealand led the world in nuclear power for free, so let’s keep up the good work and bring it in becoming smoke-free.
