But instead of suggesting any solutions to such systemic problems to public health caused by WTO rules which clearly favoured corporate wealth, the report highlights raising taxes to reduce demand. But a comparison of the per capita cigarette consumption shows a rather slow inter-temporal change. For instance, while the per capita cigarette consumption in the developed countries was about 2700 in 1970-72, it was about 800 in the developing countries. In 1980-82, their respective figures were 3000 and 1300. But in 1990-92, the developed world consumption was down to 2600 while that of developing world went up to about 1900.
China is, however, preparing to become a major exporter of tobacco.
The future of the world's tobacco industry lies in the world's developing countries, the Bulletin observes. I can't answer the moral dilemma. We are in the business of pleasing our shareholders. Historically, the United States has regarded low-income countries as a valuable export market and has assisted in opening these markets for American cigarettes, according to the WHO Bulletin. This assistance took the form of coercion in the 1980s when the threat of trade sanctions was used to pry open markets in Taiwan Province of China, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Thailand.