I was listening in to 98.7FM and they were discussing about the recent tax hike in the prices of cigarettes. Prices of a normal pack of 20 cigarettes have risen from $9 plus to almost $11 in recent times and could probably be the most expensive in the world.
Concurrent to the tax hikes, campaigns through the mass media have been promoting the notion that smoking is not hip and can lead to cancer. The idea is to discourage youths from picking up the habit. Yet DJ Grace Chua raised an interesting point about this latest move to increase prices.
Speaking from her experience, she felt that the higher prices may have a reverse psychological effect on rebellious youths since it would become somewhat like a prestige to be able to afford the bad habit. Setting laws and promoting campaigns would only feed the thrill. Some youths may even go to the extent to do foolish things just to raise the money. Indeed her concern is not totally unfounded and maybe something can be done to make them understand that it is not worth getting started.
Yet prices alone cannot stamp out harmful habit. In our stressful society, it is hard to convince long-time smokers to kick the addiction. When stress gets to their heads, depriving them of their quick relief is almost like severing their limbs. Transcending smoking addiction is harder than it looks and requires a tremendous amount of will power. The best way out is not to get started on it in the first place.
2 comments:
I find myself supporting the idea of higher priced cigarettes. Anything to try and negate people from smoking, I feel, is a good thing.
At the same time, I must point out that high prices for cigarettes - especially for those addicted - will only lead to better profits for tobacco companies. Unless the extra profit can be turned around to provide funding for anti-smoking campaigns?
While we are all agreed that smoking is bad for your health and that it causes cancer, one must wonder what the big tobacco companies have to say. There they are making billions on a product that is detrimental to human health.
Even if we abolish smoking or prevent a new generation of smokers from emerging, I can't help but feel sorry for those in the tobacco industry. I know it's bad to say, but you can't help but wonder what those who do in fact work for tobacco companies will do. After all, just because you make millions doesn't mean that you'll be happy with what you got.
Greed is one of the roots of all evil and most of us have some smidgen of that in our systems. Essentially then, how willing are these tobacco companies to let go of their profits in the interest of global human health, and even more interestingly - do you think that smoking can ever truly be abolished?
Indeed thinking that smoking can just be stamped out overnight is being too idealistic.
The tobacco industry is just earning way too much money and having much control that makes it hard for it to just disappear. You are right about the greed part.
On the other hand, it is also hard for addicts themselves to kick the habit.
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