Governments in developed countries are combating tobacco use and addiction by passing laws setting a minimum age, restricting smoking in public places, limiting advertising and product display, and requiring health warnings to accompany tobacco products. These policies have been moderately successful as tobacco use in the first world has declined over the last few years. As domestic markets flatten, tobacco multinationals look to expand their operations in the third world. This is fertile ground because of large populations, minimal government restrictions, and general lack of awareness about the hazards of tobacco. Tobacco use in developing countries to rising dramatically.
Tobacco use is an international problem.
Multi-nationals exacerbate this by using promotion and advertising to entice the world's population into tobacco addiction. These companies enrich themselves by exploiting ignorance and human weakness. Every country should ask why it allows these foreign companies to poison and kill their citizens. Federalizing the Canadian Tobacco Industry is an option for combating tobacco use by denying private companies the right to sell tobacco products. This calls for the Canadian government to rescind the business licenses of all tobacco companies and assume control of the production, distribution and retail of all tobacco products.