The Former Winston Man on Big Tobacco & Big Government

In the original version of this blog I featured a vid by David Goerlitz, the former Winston Man, speaking about the head- pounding irony of what the supposed American anti smoking push of the eighties and nineties was all about. He also marvels at how the states became sellout-enablers with regard to the dysfunctional bedroom story of Big Tobacco and Big Government.

It is not uncommon knowledge that tobacco kills almost a half-million people a year. The numbers of people who begin smoking every day are equivalent to the number of people who die from smoking related causes!

 

But the grand nationwide cascading move to hold tobacco companies responsible for this unspeakable unnecessary death and disability …ended as disgracefully as honorably it began.

 

When the Mississippi Attorney General decided to sue the giant tobacco conglomerate for about 400 billion, it was from the start considered dead in the water…until the state won and the award became compromised from that moment.

 

When the other states jumped in it was decided that the conglomerate could pay out about 240 billion on the spot with no further dickering…but in exchange for this “settlement” the stipulation was no more lawsuits from any state and no banning of tobacco products.

 

So when the monies were finally disbursed to the contesting states  the whole spirit of the project had already been compromised severely. In California under Proposition 99, 25 cents per pack was supposed to go towards cessation/prevention services, but what really happened was that almost no money went toward cessation, and not much more toward prevention services. Other states followed suit.

 

Overall, quitlines now reach less than 5% of smokers on average (Schauer,Malarcher, Zhang, Engstrom, Zhu, 2013). This limited reach is largely a result of limited state funding to provide and promote quitline services.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/cessation/pdfs/1800quitnow_faq.pdf

When all this started in 1985, 52% of Californians were smoking. High statistics notwithstanding, the cessation services were just not emphasized.

 

Of the 14 other states involved in the Master Settlement, New York, New Jersey and Ohio were included.

 

New York actually outdid herself only with with regard to vaping prevention… possibly because vaping is less lucrative through taxation revenues.

 

So that requires an even more diligent personal effort to influence the health of those we love. We might have to invent more creative and engaging projects to keep our kids and our local schools involved in more pro health activities ensuring better choices.

 

We must also be open with our kids to prevent problems before they arise. What starts as copying ends up as rationalization. The crutch gets discovered through ineffective preventive efforts. When a teenager finally get hooked many stages were passed and overlooked first.

 

And quitlines need more people using them if any rationale exists for higher levels of funding. If you can find one that works I am glad for you. But if you need a coach in the middle of the night my service will provide, probably to the exclusion of any other.

 

And please remember  Beautiful Quitters smoking coaching is always here and waiting to assist you with skilled, compassionate coaching at your request. Donations only if you become a happy quitter.

 

So please write me at Averayugen@mail.com for information regarding signing up for coaching. It’s a great move and a great sign of strength and resolve. Hope to hear from you!