Tobacco, a ‘necessary evil’

EDITORIAL

It is an irony that while the Department of Health has a program against smoking, the tobacco industry is seen as a strong ingredient in boosting the country’s economy.

Even those in government argue there is need of smokers so the industry wouldn’t die and result to hardship for thousands of people who are relying on it to survive.    

Most of those engaged in the tobacco industry come from northern Luzon. It is understandable if tobacco farmers held protest rallies the past days in northern provinces to protest the government-sponsored revenue measure increasing “sin taxes” on tobacco and liquor products.

The rallies were held at public cemeteries in Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Abra, La Union and Pangasinan. Dubbed “Tobacco Rebellion,” the protest actions drew thousands of tobacco farmers. A caravan composed of farmers later went to the Senate in Manila where the proposed sin tax measure is under consideration.

According to organizers, tobacco farmers will stage daily rallies at the Senate until Nov. 21 when the revenue measure is expected to be tackled,

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile earlier announced that the proposed sin tax bill would be part of the Senate’s priority agenda along with the proposed 2013 national budget.

Erning Calindas, president of the Federation of Tobacco Growers’ Association, said the government’s proposed tobacco tax scheme is “heavy” and would lead to the “extinction of the tobacco crop.”

He said a so-called “Tobacco Revolt” was staged during the Spanish period when the government imposed a tax on tobacco that was higher than the crop’s production cost.

The uprising, he said, ended when the government lowered the tax to a realistic level. Under the revised proposal of the Department of Finance, Calindas said the government expects to get P40 billion in sin taxes.

He deplored reports that out of the expected revenue, P31 billion will be sourced from tobacco products, and P9 billion from liquor products. He questioned the disparity, saying the ideal ratio should be P20 billion from each of the two sin products. 

Be that as it may, the tobacco industry is not only about economics. It is a moral dilemma on whether tobacco should be allowed to be sold or not. When you sell it, you are part of an industry which makes people smoke, become addicts, suffer ailments like lung cancer and die -- for profit.

On the other hand, if you don’t support the industry, you are accused of making poor tobacco workers and their families become more miserable without food to eat, and their children not being able to go to school for a brighter future.          

But such is life. It is a damn if you do, damn if you don’t situation.