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In reading this article, lobbyists of big tobacco companies are trying to persuade federal lawmakers to give them their last wish: to get permission to sell electronic cigarettes to all Australians.
Their argument is simple. Electronic cigarettes are almost certainly a much less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes. And unlike nicotine gums, lozenges and patches, smokers love them. They provide the same visceral and ritual satisfaction as traditional cigarettes, without the same risks of cancer, heart disease and all the other serious problems related to smoking. They are a real substitute.
In an exclusive interview with The new dailyTammy Chan, managing director of Philip Morris International, insisted that the tobacco giant was committed to the interests of consumers. Our survey, however, leaves no doubt that big tobacco, faced with falling cigarette sales, believes it has touched the product that will allow it to continue generating billions of dollars of nicotine addiction.
Along the way, major tobacco companies are conducting selective research that defends their interests, and health experts warn that if the government gives in to pressure, it could seriously compromise the health of the nation.
Meet the vapors
The success of the tobacco industry is based on a quirk of brain chemistry. When nicotine enters the blood stream and reaches the brain, it opens the "reward center" – the part of the brain that has evolved to reward necessary or useful activities. This releases one of the pleasure chemicals of the brain, dopamine.
Nicotine convinces the brain that it needs nicotine by creating special nicotine receptors. In reality, nicotine is not of any benefit to us, but a problem in the system makes us think that it is doing it.
The positive result of dopamine is incredibly short-lived. As most heavy smokers will say, these receptors start screaming for nicotine one hour after the last cigarette. If you do not respond to the demands of receivers, their complaints become stronger.
The only way to end a nicotine addiction is to ignore this wild beast until it dies of hunger. But because the longer you smoke regularly, the more receptors you have, heavy smokers may find it almost impossible to stop smoking.
This was the case with two of the vapors The new daily Margaretha, 58, and Adrian, 49. Both smokers for decades, it is impossible to stop smoking before trying to get out of breath.
For both, vaping was nothing short of a miracle. This allowed them to satisfy the nicotine beast without exposing their lungs to the lethal chemicals contained in tobacco smoke. As Michael Russell, a pioneer of tobacco control in the 1970s, said, "People smoke to get nicotine, but they die from tar." Since vaping does not involve burning tobacco, it does not expose users' lungs to tar.
"I was probably 16 when I started smoking cigarettes," Adrian said. "After 30 years of smoking cigarettes, I probably smoked a pack of 30 a day. It took a lot of commitment. "
He said that he had tried all sorts of methods to stop or reduce his expenses, but nothing worked. "The fact is that I liked smoking," he said.
He first tried to vape about seven years ago, but at that time the technology was more primitive and the effects of nicotine were not enough.
"About two and a half years ago, I came back to review it again and found out how much the situation had improved and this time it stuck. The equipment was better, everything was better, it was just easier.
"I did not have a cigarette [since], "He said, adding that he had noticed a major improvement in his health.
The purchase of electronic cigarette machines is easy – there are many stores in Australia. But buying nicotine liquid for machines is not. It is illegal to buy nicotine in Australia without a doctor's prescription. Instead, Adrian buys his online purchases abroad, mainly in China. He does not want to make you feel like a criminal.
Margaretha's story is similar. A 58-year-old smoker, she started smoking as early as last April and has not smoked since.
"I've tried everything you can imagine to stop smoking. I tried the eraser, the patches, the hypnotherapy, I read all Allen Carr's books, I probably read five other books to help you quit smoking. Nothing really worked. So I was really desperate.
After being initiated to vaping by friends from Europe, she made inquiries and decided that it was worth trying. So she went to a steam treatment shop in Melbourne, purchased the paraphernalia, and ordered a nicotine liquid from a website called Nicopharm, which writes prescriptions and sells nicotine fluid.
"For about two weeks, I still smoked a cigarette in the morning because it was the hardest thing to leave for me. And I resigned on April 1 and it's absolutely amazing. It's fantastic.
The experiences of Adrian and Margaretha are typical. Earlier this year, an investigation by a federal parliamentary committee on vaping was bombarded by more than 200 submissions from people who had quit smoking by going to vaping.
These submissions, almost without exception, had a tone of gratitude and an almost evangelical fervor. Vaping, for those hardened smokers, is a miracle cure for the deadly disease of cigarette addiction.
Proponents of Vaping say the government has an obligation to allow consumers to freely buy a product that could save them from this deadly and expensive addiction, especially as traditional cigarettes are freely available. anyone over 18 years old.
It's exactly the line that tobacco takes.
The Marlboro Man has a new line in durries
Earlier this year, Philip Morris International, the tobacco giant behind the iconic Marlboro brand, has done something amazing. He published a one-page ad in British newspapers stating that he would stop selling traditional cigarettes.
"Our ambition," they say, "is to stop selling cigarettes in the UK It will not be easy, but we are determined to turn our vision into reality."
If it sounds too good to be true, of course. Philip Morris has released the announcement only in Britain for one simple reason: in the UK, buying electronic cigarettes is as simple as buying a pint of beer.
The UK government, in the opinion of its official health agency, Public Health England, has taken an optimistic approach to the e-cigarette, saying that reducing the risks associated with vaporization of smokers far outweighed the unknown risks in the long run.
As a result, there has been an explosion in the use of electronic cigarettes in Britain. On the walking trails outside pubs and office buildings, where the dwindling smoking community has gathered, the vapors have taken their place. Stores selling nicotine dispensers and electronic cigarettes have sprouted up all over the country.
The visible effect of the change in UK legislation is incredible and demonstrates the power of nicotine addiction. The numbers prove it: 5.5% of Britons over the age of 16 describe themselves as regular vapers, compared to 3.7% three years earlier, when the UK's Office of National Statistics started recording vaping rate.
Philip Morris calls electronic cigarettes "reduced risk products". And if these products still represent less than 5% of its turnover (an incredible sum of 79 billion US dollars last year), sales are growing rapidly.
Cigarette sales, meanwhile, are in free fall. In 2016, Philip Morris sold 813 billion cigarettes. In 2017, this number fell to 761 billion.
This trend goes back to previous years. Last year, Philip Morris sold 120 billion fewer cigarettes than in 2013. That's down 15% in four years.
Compare that to electronic cigarettes. In 2016, the company sold 7 billion units. In 2017, this figure has been multiplied by five to reach 36 billion.
By far the most important market is Japan and its presence in Britain is small – overtaken by the big competitor British American Tobacco. But he plans to change that. And he does not intend to stop with Britain.
Philip Morris is here to help you
Philip Morris International opened its 2017 annual report with positive philanthropic sentiments.
"The biggest contribution that PMI can make to society," he explained, "is to replace the cigarette with less harmful alternatives, which is why we are moving from one place to another." cigarette manufacturer to a leader in smoke-free technologies. "
Philip Morris, whose most notable contribution to society so far has probably been the spread of lung cancer and emphysema, has suddenly developed a social conscience.
This philanthropic rhetoric is, of course, a front. The figures above tell the true story. As the world sees the destructive effects of smoking, cigarette consumption is in free fall. Despite all the efforts of the big tobacco industry to influence governments through threats and lawsuits, and to increase sales in new, poorly regulated countries, the battle is lost. Giants like Philip Morris and British American Tobacco realized that if they wanted to save their business in the long run, they needed a new product.
And just like with cigarettes, if they are to add value to shareholders, they should interest as many people as possible in e-cigarettes.
The Australian offices of Philip Morris International in South Wharf in Melbourne are not particularly bright and there is no trace of a cigarette anywhere. It's far from the kind of big corporate culture that awaits you, if you've watched shows like Mad Men.
Executive Director Tammy Chan is this less flashy image. She has been in the business for almost 20 years, but she does not walk in a cloud of tobacco smoke. On the contrary, it positively apologizes for the deadly effects of tobacco – it describes the industry as "sinful" – and has prepared a long, compelling list of reasons why Philip Morris should be allowed to impose electronic sanctions on Australians.
At the center is the position that "whatever happens, there will be smokers" and that if Philip Morris can provide them with a less harmful alternative, it is surely a good thing.
Philip Morris wants to continue to benefit from nicotine addiction by selling electronic cigarettes?
"We do it, but in a different way," she said. The new daily. "We know that a better alternative exists and we want to sell it instead of what we know, kill people. It's not addiction, but it kills people, that's what we recognize. Selling cigarettes, is killing people. "
(It should be recalled at this point that last year, Philip Morris sold 761 billion carcinogenic traditional cigarettes worldwide, deliberately.)
"We always want to be a successful company. Do not get me wrong, we run a business. But by trading, selling something smokers want, smokers are our consumers and it's better for them. So I think it's our commitment in a nutshell. "
While admitting that Philip Morris wants people to play the game of electronic cigarettes, she insists that these are just those who are already hooked on traditional cigarettes. She quotes estimates from the World Health Organization that by 2030, 1 billion people will continue to smoke in the world.
"We are saying that this group, if everyone gets converted, using a different form of electronic cigarette or whatever you call it, we would still be a very successful company, as we used to do."
It may sound like a reasonable answer, but if Philip Morris got what he wanted – electronic cigarettes sold alongside normal cigarettes to anyone over the age of 18, with more flexible rules for how retailers can post them – nothing could stop nonsmokers from taking up vaping. It is very hard to believe that Philip Morris would not like that.
The risks of vaping for health
Fans of vaping often cite this figure: electronic cigarettes are 5% less harmful than traditional fuel cigarettes. This figure comes from Public Health England.
But according to Dr. Sarah White, director of Quit Victoria (a member of the Cancer Council), this is a "figure invented in a fallacious way." She says the constant quote from Public Health England is misleading. Most scientific studies conclude that the risks outweigh the benefits.
"I have a box full of statements of position and testimonials that are anti-electronic cigarettes. The stack of paper is about 20 centimeters high and there is another one that is professional: it is about 4 centimeters high. And all the content of the pro camp is from England with one exception, Canada. "
Most reports conclude that chemicals in vapors inhaled by electronic cigarettes are likely to have adverse health effects. The long-term effects of these effects on health will not be known for many years.
The other major risk is to encourage non-smokers, especially young people, to take the initiative of vaping, which could be a gateway to the traditional cigarette.
Mr. White criticizes the bullish approach of the British government, which he describes as "massive and natural" experience.
"I think they came up with a concept that came from the right place and was a very good idea, but instead of testing it, they just dumped themselves in there. And I think that they actually put themselves in a position where there was a lot of criticism from all over the world and they are just digging right now.
"When you look at the data, the number of stunt attempts in the UK is going down. The number of people using gum, stamps, pellets, etc., decreases. The number of people with access to cessation services is decreasing. And we know that the most common form of use of electronic cigarettes is to continue using them with cigarettes.
"We know that there is no level of safe smoking. So, if we have what is called dual-use, we know there is no health benefit. "
She cautioned against prosecution, because as the market grows, so does its lobbying power. This would make reversal difficult – as seen by governments' efforts over the past several decades to regulate the sale of tobacco.
"If you let the genie out of the bottle, it will be almost impossible to reintegrate," says Dr. White.
Most Australian health organizations agree with Dr. White that caution and further research are needed. This includes the Australian Medical Association, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the National Heart Foundation and the government's own health research organization, the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Those who argue for it are usually tobacco companies, tobacco retailers, political libertarians, a handful of doctors – the most important being by far Dr. Colin Mendelsohn, a specialist in smoking cessation in Sydney – and, of course, fumes like Margaretha and Adrian.
News Corp's publications have also published numerous articles on the subject, most of which quote Dr. Mendelsohn. News Corp. denies that this has nothing to do with the fact that Rupert Murdoch sat on Philip Morris' board, nor with the fact that his principal, Peter L. Barnes, spent most of his career at Philip Morris. Read this 2014 piece by The new daily Michael Pascoe will learn more about News Corp's long-standing support for big tobacco.
Until now, the Australian government has listened to expert organizations rather than big tobacco, vapers, libertarians and News Corp.
In a statement to The new daily A spokesman for Health Minister Greg Hunt said, "Medical advice and overwhelming evidence is [e-cigarette use] is likely to lead to smoking and we can not support that.
"That's what the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Australian Chief Medical Officer, the health officials of all Australian states and territories, and the National Council for Medical Research and Health are saying.
"The Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners are also concerned and have presented clear evidence to that effect."
But that will not stop the big tobacco producers – with the support of Liberal MPs such as Tim Wilson, Eric Abetz and Trent Zimmerman – from energetically preventing lobbying from loosening laws. Only last month, they seemed to win a small victory, when Hunt agreed to set up an independent investigation into the risks and benefits of e-cigarettes for health.
Whether or not e-cigarettes are a lifesaver for smokers who can not quit smoking otherwise, one thing is clear: big tobacco is not meant to improve health. He wants some of the action because he has felt a new opportunity to boast billions of dollars of nicotine addiction. For this reason, most health experts agree that their fine words must be scrupulously examined.
Renee Bittoun, a specialist in smoking cessation at the University of Sydney, in her thesis submitted to the parliamentary inquiry earlier this year, did not hesitate to say.
"It is naïve to believe that the tobacco industry, given its past, will not seek to develop its market and its sale of this highly addictive substance. In particular, seductive and attractive marketing to win a teenage consumer who can become a nicotine addict all his life is reprehensible. No health worker should be complicit in this.
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