Tobacco: public health or public profits?

Smoking kills slowly, smokers are anyway not that in a hurry, it is an usual joke famed among them. In 2005, Madagascar ratified an international convention concerning the struggle against tobacco addiction. Smoking related commercials are not allowed, and consequently not appearing. The ban on smoking in public areas is however thoroughly ignored. “We are going to reinforce the recall by emphasizing warnings “, declared the healthcare minister, Pascal Rajaonarison.
Madagascar celebrated the world day of struggle against tobacco addiction with the following creed: ” to protect public health against the smoking pandemic “. The healthcare authorities are operating with the WHO in a campaign of struggle against non infectious illnesses. “There will come sensitization on the side effects of smoking”. The commitment in the struggle against tobacco addiction had a smaller impact during the year 2009´s crisis. The very hard warnings deemed to deter withered.
The WHO´s planned imposition of taxes on cigarettes fell through, namely for having pushed the government to protect the tobacco industry. The cigarettes got more than 50% high taxes. The state still has its bargain though, since the Malagasy industry produces some 3.5 billions of cigarettes a year, sold for 100 Ariary each. Prevention is actually being blocked by young smokers. A NGO´s report is definitely appearing as a cause for concerns: 20% of teenagers aged between 11 to 15 does smoke. 12% of this age category´s young are likely to start smoking. In the outback, chewed tobacco is the cause for addiction for young teenagers.
The tobacco industry in Madagascar is being controlled by the Imperial Tobacco group (Soctams, Sitam, Sacimem and Promodim). It has been putting its money on the local market since the year 2002 as export plummeted from 80 to 6 tons between 2000 and 2002. 4 200 Ha from 5 tobacco fields are providing a living for about 30 000 independent farmers, 5000 non independent on and for some thousands of seasonal workers. The national production amounts to 3 800 cubic meters. The industry´s produced 3,5 billions of cigarettes are more or less enough to supply the national consumption.
Tobacco is a very lucrative path for the state, for providing some 150 billions of ariary in taxes The Malagasy office of tobacco (local Ofmata) regulates the trade as a governmental industrial and commercial watchdog, and mostly has to deal with non independent planters. The struggle against tobacco addiction might impact on these farmers. Tobacco industries merely have some hundreds of workers, but provide resources for thousands of families and seasonal workers. The best to be expected from the state would be a restriction of national consumption to 3 billions of cigarettes, as tobacco cultures are merely delivering 60% of their potential.