This means millions of people who will be deprived of longer lives in better health. Governments are surrounded by competing interests and may be reluctant to introduce strong legislation and allocate resources for tobacco control programmes. Whatever the legislation or policies put in place, transborder activities have sabotaged nations' tobacco programmes, and will continue to do so in the absence of an international treaty dealing with these issues. Activities such as untaxed tobacco sales, smuggling and unregulated promotions by satellite go unabated as health and social costs of tobacco-caused diseases strain the resources of governments around the world. The money and power behind tobacco investments can corrode public health initiatives and the ensuing tobacco marketing tactics exploit children, limit choice and disregard consumer rights.
Tobacco use drains resources from poor countries.
In most parts of the world, the effect of addiction on users is underestimated and little is provided for the users who need help to stop smoking or other forms of tobacco use. The general public may not yet fully realise the vast amount of disease and premature death due to tobacco use or the extent of the deception that has constantly been demonstrated by the multinational tobacco industries towards governments, towards the non-smokers they attract into smoking and towards their own customers. Severely limiting the marketing tactics of the tobacco industry would give greater opportunity for free choice by governments and individuals, greater potential for public health and opportunities to stop smoking. This would of course mean that the loyal smokers who choose to smoke should be reimbursed their expenses if they are unlucky enough to contract any of the 25 diseases linked to tobacco use. Medical and associated payments should no longer be the responsibility and the burden of public health care systems or smokers' families.