Comments to the Philip Morris Study concerning the economic impact of smoking in the Czech Republic by Czech NGOs
Comments to the Philip Morris Study concerning the economic impact of smoking in the Czech Republic by Czech NGOs
Czech Committee of the European Medical Association Smoking OR Health, Working Group for the Prevention and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence at the Czech Medical Association, Czech Coalition against Tobacco
[Info on the Original Report Arthur D. Little report is here.]
July 19, 2001
The summary of the study, mostly in figures, has been handed over to the members of the Social Policy and Healthcare Committee of the Czech Parliament with the aim to influence MPs in negotiation, avoiding tobacco taxes increase concerning EU rules (according to PM statement) and probably also concerning the two current laws discussed in the Czech Parliament: the bill on protection against tobacco, alcohol and addictive drugs which should partly strengthen the tobacco control measures in the country, and advertising regulation law, which allows most kinds of tobacco advertising.
1. The most (one of the most) important benefits of reduced cost is due to the early mortality of smokers.
But: The World Bank in their publication from 1999 (Curbing the Epidemic) explains that the shorter life of a smoker is more expensive than a longer life of a non-smoker, due to health care cost, and days out of work.
Except of that, if we would accept this benefit, it seems to be underestimated: the average smoker's lost of life estimated by 4.3 by authors of this study could be doubled at least (probably more than 10 years), due to the stadium of tobacco epidemic with 30-40 years delay of the peak of mortality caused by tobacco after the peak of smoking prevalence.
2.Smoking related health care cost seems to be underestimated, should be doubled or even tripled: according to the Medical Information Centre, Dr. Sadilek, just the hospital care due to smoking costs as much as all health care due to smoking according the PM study.
3. Most effective recommendation to the Czech Government according this study just would be to kill all people at the day of their retirement. The study also shows very clearly the basis of tobacco industry profit.
And it could be a global warning to the Planet: people do not mind to be killed by anything if the marketing and advertising is nice enough.
We would like to thank to all our colleagues, mostly from USA, who gave publicity to this study: In the Czech Republic it was published in May 2001, without any attention of Czech media. Only after campaigns in USA and other countries, also Czech media (July, 17, 2001) paid attention to this unethical PR of Philip Morris. Titles mostly said: "America is shocked by the Czech PM study." And Czech Philip Morris did apologize! Many thanks for the wonderful work to all you!
Eva Kralikova and Jiri Kozak
Czech Committee of the European Medical Association Smoking OR Health, Studnickova 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
Working Group for the Prevention and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence at the Czech Medical Association JEP, Sokolska 31, 120 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
Czech Coalition against Tobacco, Hradkova 1354, 190 16 Prague 9, Czech Republic
***********************
Go To: Tobacco BBS HomePage / Resources Page / Health Page / Documents Page / Culture Page / Activism Page
***********************
END OF DOCUMENT