Tobacco laws do not cause unemployment

Tobacco laws do not cause unemployment

I was privileged to be invited to Indonesia to speak at the
National World No Tobacco Day Symposium in Jakarta on May 31,
1994. I was very impressed by the considerable amount of
community work and publicity already carried out by the
Indonesian Heart Foundation, the Cancer Foundation, LM3 and
others on the dangers of smoking, with particular emphasis on
informing and protecting Indonesia's children from taking up the
habit. These activities are far more than many countries in this
region.

But health education alone is not enough to fight this
dangerous and addictive habit that, according to World Health
Organization (WHO), already kills 57,000 Indonesians every year.
This figure includes people who have smoked since their teenage
years, reach middle age and die from the habit.

Most countries in this region have now combined health
education with national regulations and legislation. However, in
Indonesia, there seems to be widespread concern that to
introduced tobacco control legislation would result in
unemployment among tobacco farmers and workers.

This fear is completely unfounded. Even with the best tobacco
control policies, smoking is only reduced very gradually --
usually by less than one percent a year. This would be more than
compensated for by the increase in Indonesia's population and the
fact that more young people (girls as well as boys) are taking up
the habit.

Tobacco workers are becoming unemployed but, ironically, the
finger of accusation should be pointed elsewhere - at the tobacco
companies. It is not the Ministry of Health or the health
organizations, but the tobacco industry itself that is laying off
workers, because they are increasingly introducing mechanization
into their factories, so that tobacco production is becoming much
less labor intensive.

Economist and those concerned with labor and employment can be
reassured that there is absolutely no reason for comprehensive
tobacco control policies not to be implemented. It will not
reduce the tobacco work force for decades to come.

JUDITH MACKAY

Hong Kong