American Indians first producers of tobacco

THE American Indians didn’t plan it this way but tobacco became the perfect revenge for the plunder of their lands and persecution of their people.

Columbus was the first explorer to take away samples of the strange plant he saw native peoples burning in ceremonial pipes and by the mid-1600s it was the must-have novelty in the wealthy drawing rooms of Europe.

The first commercial crops were grown by early settlers in the eastern states of North America in the 1600s but smoking only became widespread with mass production of cigarettes in the last 150 years.

Doctors linked smoking with ill-health in the 1930s and a cancer scare took hold in the 1950s but tobacco companies turned around sales by offering ‘safe’ low-tar and filter tip varieties, and with intensive advertising.

Growing health concerns led to tightening of laws on sales of cigarettes to minors, smoking in public places and advertising by tobacco firms in the western world throughout the early 1990s.

The tricks of the trade were revealed in the mid-1990s when US scientist and tobacco executive, Jeffrey Wigand, turned whistleblower to tell how companies used chemical additives to addict smokers and make quitting as difficult as possible.

Individuals and states in the US began taking multi-billion dollar lawsuits against companies for damage to health and recovery of the cost of health care. Companies began publicly admitting their products damage health.

Winners and losers in the fight against tobacco

THE workplace smoking ban is designed primarily to protect workers and has the backing of the trade unions. A 1998 survey found 29% of men and 16% of women reported exposure to second hand smoke at work, a figure that rose to 47% for those working in pubs and clubs.

Medical opinion is disputed, but the Department of Health says passive smoking gives a 40% increase in the likelihood of contracting lung cancer and doubles the chance of suffering a stroke so any extra protection would seem to a victory for workers.

But the Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance claims that 65,000 of the 215,000 jobs in hospitality here could be lost because of the ban and the Vintners Federation of Ireland says workers will be put in danger if they have to personally police the ban.

Publicans in border counties say they will be the biggest losers as they fear the transfer of regular trade, weddings and other functions to venues in the north. The Irish Cigarette Machine Operators Association claims 450 people involved in the supply and maintenance of vending machines will also be out of work.

Supporters of the ban argue the hospitality industry will benefit from a resurgence of trade from an increasingly health conscious public and from tourists turned off by smoky venues.

The three main tobacco companies, Gallahers, John Player and PJ Carroll, have all indicated a commitment to maintaining a presence here but SIPTU branch secretary, Ann Speed, said the workers were concerned.

“They feel very, very vulnerable at this stage. They don’t feel at all confident about the future. Whatever about the arguments for and against smoking and the workplace ban, the tobacco companies were reasonable employers. People had good jobs and good conditions that are not assured with replacement industries.”

Office of Tobacco Control ONE of the main recommendations to come out of a series of Oireachtas Committee hearings on smoking in 1999 was that a coordinated national anti-smoking strategy was necessary.

The result was the Office of Tobacco Control (OTC), set up in 2000 and given statutory powers in May of last year.

One of the OTC’s functions is research and it has begun monthly surveys of smoking habits, but the key justification for its existence is control of the manufacture, sale and use of tobacco.

With the change in law at the end of this month, it is unclear how much manpower, muscle and money the OTC will need or how far the Government is prepared to go in supporting it.

Irish tobacco stats:

Workers employed directly in tobacco industry: 500.

Workers employed indirectly (materials, supply, distribution etc): 5,000.

Workers employed in hospitality industry: 215,000.

Percentage of adults who smoke: 27%.

Number of adults who smoke: 840,000.

Percentage of children aged 10-18 who smoke: 19%.

Cigarettes smoked in a year (legitimate sales): 6.23 billion.

Average per smoker per year (adults only): 7,416 per year, 20 per day.

Estimated sales of smuggled cigarettes: up to €600 million.

Deaths from cigarettes per year (all smoking-related diseases): 7,000.

New lung cancer cases per year directly attributed to smoking: 1,350. As percentage of all new cancer cases: 6.75%.

Deaths from lung cancer per year: 1,500. As percentage of all cancer deaths: 20%.

Value of cigarette sales in a year: €2 billion.

Value to exchequer in excise duties and VAT: €1.3bn.

Value in income tax, PRSI and corporation tax: €20m.

Average amount spent by cigarette companies on advertising and sponsorship per year prior to 2001 ban: €10m.

Amount spent by Health Department on anti-smoking campaigns: €3m - 2004 budget.

Annual cost to Exchequer of health services to smokers: €1bn.