Jump to full article: China Daily (cn), 2009-07-31
Intro: Your report on July 29 stating that more children in Beijing are becoming addicted to cigarettes is tragic but hardly surprising. Men, women and children all over China are increasingly being poisoned by the lethal habit.
It is government policy to promote the manufacture, sale and distribution of cigarettes. . . .
A law on cigarettes was passed in 1991 by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) . . .
The law empowers the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), also known as China National Tobacco Corporation, as being "responsible for formulating development strategies for the tobacco industry, conducting industrial restructuring, organizing tobacco production, operation, storage and transportation, carrying out technological innovation and key research programs, guiding cultural and ideological progress in the tobacco industry".
In accordance with this directive, the STMA has diligently created a vast network of cigarette factories at the national and provincial levels, increased distribution and sales network in China, and struck "sweetheart deals" with foreign manufacturers to produce or sell cigarettes in each other's country.
Millions of cigarettes flooding the streets of China daily are readily available to anyone. . . .
In the present circumstances to keep pushing measures already proven ineffective is not only silly but indeed borders on deliberate chicanery.
Hasn't the time come to heighten our vigilance against official hypocrisy?
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