Imperial's success at expense of city's health
I was surprised and disappointed to read James Cowling's article hailing the "success" of Imperial Tobacco and its profits. (Tobacco industry is 'great place to be', Post, Wednesday, May 13).
The article failed to point out that Imperial Tobacco's "success" comes at a high price – half its customers are likely to die early if they use tobacco products exactly as the manufacturer intended. Higher profits implies increased sales implies more deaths.
This is disappointing when only two months ago the Post ran an excellent front page story entitled "City's Deadly Legacy", which revealed that more people are dying from lung cancer in Bristol than anywhere else in the region - in the backyard of Imperial.
Worse than that, the figures published in the South West Public Health Observatory's report also suggested that rates were even worse in south Bristol. Perhaps it is merely coincidence that this is where Imperial Tobacco's factory employed hundreds of Bristolians for many decades.
Can we have more of your excellent investigative journalism and less celebration of a company in our city that has managed to shorten some of its residents' lives and has made a huge profit at the expense of the city's health in the process.
Does that really sound like success to you?
Fiona Andrews,
Director,
Smokefree South West.
2 Comments
by gerry, bristol
Friday, May 22 2009, 4:19PM
“In its day Imperial Tobacco , known then as Will's was one of Bristols biggest employers.
In those days nearly everyone smoked, that was the peoples choice not the fault of the manufacturer.
The workers were looked after and their sports ground which is now built on was one of the best grounds in the south west.”
by Richard Lane, Knowle
Thursday, May 21 2009, 10:17PM
“Perhaps now with the massive profits this group are making they could put some of it back into south Bristol.
The new hospital springs to mind, or perhaps the proposed new stadium as a belated thank you to the people that provided the foundation for these profits with their health.”