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“
The
tobacco industry has maintained a deafening silence on new research
showing the average smoker gets one lung-cancerous mutation with
every 15 cigarettes. DNA
research published in Nature magazine* shows tobacco’s
cocktail of chemicals are responsible for tens of thousands of
cancerous mutations in typical smokers. Action
on Smoking and Health (ASH) “We
haven’t heard a word from the tobacco industry on how they propose
to deal with these shocking findings about their product. “Nor
have we heard from our Federal government, which rakes in six billion
dollars a year in tobacco tax, and allows the poorly regulated sale
and widespread promotion of this deadly and addictive drug to drag on. “If
any other product was found to cause a fraction of this kind of harm,
it would be pulled from the shelves in a moment. “But
so far, the Rudd Government has taken no definite action against
tobacco – not a single recommendation of the National Preventative
Health Taskforce has yet been adopted. “The
tobacco companies have shown themselves incapable of taking
responsibility for the harm they cause – so it’s up to governments
to take action. “We’d
like some answers from the government about how they intend to
properly regulate this rogue industry – and help the majority of
smokers who want to break the stranglehold of tobacco over their lives
and health. “Why
should the tobacco industry be allowed by governments to widely
promote and sell their cancerous products at every street corner?” *
Study abstract at www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature08629.html Comment: Anne Jones, CEO, ASH Australia ph. (02) 9334-1876; m. 0417-227-879 Media
info: Stafford
Sanders, ASH Australia
ph. (02) 9334-1823; m.
0412-070-194
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Page last updated 18/12/09 |
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