Mar 06, 2009 – SCMP
Chris Robinson’s letter could have been written by the public relations department of the tobacco industry (“Punitive antics just put smokers on the defensive”, March 2).
I must take issue with his claim that none of the efforts to curb smoking, including increased taxes, have worked.
In North America, Australia and Europe, cigarette smoking has declined drastically in the last few years which is why the tobacco industry now targets, with multibillion dollar marketing and advertising budgets, the undeveloped world, especially countries such as India, China and nations in Africa.
Perhaps tobacco taxes should increase 10-fold every year. That way the income generated would pay for the billions of dollars it costs the world’s taxpayers for the medical bills of all those smokers who suffer illness.
Peter Dann, Sai Kung