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 Well,
they're not satisfied with that anymore. Now, they see the "deep
pockets" of the tobacco industry coupled with a hyped-up public hysteria
about smoking and have targeted the tobacco industry to further line their
pockets with increasing profits.
Consider
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota who sued cigarette makers to recover
$1.77 billion they say they spent to treat smoking-related illnesses. What in
the world were they supposed to do with that $1.77 billion? That's supposedly
the business they're in ... taking your money to pay for your health costs.
So much
for their policy holders revenues to cover their profits ... these are some
greedy folks. Not only did they get money for the original insurance policy,
but they got paid again for fulfilling their obligations to cover the health
costs of their clients! Not bad. I repeat my original premise: "The
current anti-smoking campaign is not about public health ... It is all about YOUR
MONEY... They want it!
Insurance Hypocrisy
 When was the last
time you saw a smoker swerving down the road, running over pedestrians, or
crossing the center lane hitting another car head-on?
Why do
smokers often pay more for automobile insurance?
 Does the insurance agents ask you if you drink liquor? Of
course not, but they do often ask whether you're a smoker. Now, who's more
likely to cause an automobile accident ... someone on his 10th cigarette or
someone on his 10th highball? Cigarettes were not cited as a contributor to the
120 mph auto crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, and her two
companions. But, the driver was found to be drunk.
Hardly a week passes without
newspaper reports of accidents, shootings, and robberies related to
alcohol-use, but do they make an issue or charge you extra if you drink?
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What's replacing the banned tobacco ads? Alcohol! As if we don't
have enough drunk drivers on the roads already, more and more people are being
encouraged to drink through an increase of liquor advertising. No double
standard here!
In another move to heighten the
hypocrisy of the anti-smoking movement, as of Jan. 1, 1998, California has
banned smoking from even within, of all places, Bars. Oh, it's okay to get
drunk before getting out on the streets and highways, but God forbid that you
should smoke a cigarette while getting inebriated. What an act of
foolishness!
- The median age at which children begin
drinking is just over 13 years old.
- 26% of eighth graders, 40% of tenth graders,
and 50% of twelfth graders report having used alcohol in the past month.
- 18% of eighth graders, 38% of tenth graders,
and 52% of twelfth graders report having been drunk at least once in the last
year.
- One-quarter of sixth graders say it is
"fairly easy" or "very easy" to get beer. 15% say it is
easy to get liquor. A study conducted in Washington, D.C., revealed that 19-
and 20-year-old males were able to purchase a six-pack of beer in 97 out of 100
attempts.
- Among ninth grade students, alcohol or other
drug use, or a combination of substances, was the best predictor of early
sexual activity. For youth, alcohol use more than any other single factor is
indirectly responsible for more pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and
HIV infections.
- Broadcast advertising for beer and wine
totaled some $700 million in 1995.
- Many of the radio stations on which Seagram
airs gin ads feature youth-oriented rock and roll or album-oriented rock
formats that target audiences officially designated 18 and above. In reality,
many younger teens listen to those stations.
It should be clear to anyone who can read
(those who can't already don't believe them) that these anti-smoking
"do-gooders" really don't care one whit about you, your children, or
your health. They do care about your money, however. So much so that they will
do anything and say anything to convince you to give more of it to them.
Consider the success they have already had in recent years in
convincing you to give them more of your money.
Personal Consumption Expenditures (billons of
dollars)
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Dept. of
Commerce
|
1989 |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
| Tobacco Products |
40.5 |
43.4 |
43.8 |
49.6 |
47.0 |
47.7 |
47.2 |
| Drug preparations |
55.0 |
60.6 |
70.9 |
75.0 |
77.9 |
81.7 |
85.7 |
| Physicians |
121.6 |
133.8 |
152.1 |
167.2 |
172.9 |
179.8 |
189.8 |
| Hospitals & Nursing Care |
209.5 |
231.3 |
293.4 |
320.0 |
344.4 |
363.8 |
383.6 |
| Health Insurance |
31.2 |
36.6 |
37.3 |
42.7 |
51.7 |
57.0 |
61.3 |
Tobacco products show an increase of only 16.5% of Americans
spending between 1989 and 1995 compared with an increase of 56% for drug
preparations and physicians, 83% increase for hospitals & nursing
care, and a whopping 96% increase for health
insurance.
| According to a survey by Modern Healthcare magazine,
half of all hospital CEO's earned $165,500 or more in 1995. |
I ask you, "Who's
getting your money?"
Motivation for Deception
Take a look at the following data comparing revenues of the
insurance and tobacco industries between 1989 and 1995. You'll notice the
revenues of the leading insurance companies have been drastically reduced while
the revenues in the tobacco industry have increased.
| Insurance Revenues (millions of dollars)
|
|
1989 |
1995 |
| Prudential Insurance of America |
129,118 |
41,330 |
| Metropolitan Life Insurance |
98,740 |
27,977 |
| New York Life Ins. |
37,302 |
16,202 |
| Aetna Life & Casualty |
52,023 |
12,978 |
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| Tobacco Revenues (millions of dollars)
|
|
1989 |
1995 |
| Phillip Morris |
39,069 |
53,139 |
| R.J. Reynolds |
15,224 |
16,008 |
| American Brands |
7,265 |
5,905 |
| Universal |
2,920 |
3,281 |
| UST |
670 |
1,300 |
| Source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts,
1997 |
Do you see any clue here as to what industry might have a
reason to assault another industry? I would suggest the insurance industry has
a high motivation to disparage the tobacco industry. They have gained the
support of government bureaucrats and many deceived Americans.
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