Don’t stop
reading because it’s just another one about cigarettes. It is and it isn’t, but
it certainly is a standard-setter early in the new year for the public airing
of misinformation. The airing came at a recent hearing in the Indonesian Constitutional
Court, wich weaks fine points of national Legislation to see whether justice is
prevailing.
In this case, on
trial was a legalprovision in the health law which deems tobacco an addictive
substance and the plaintiff claiming it was not one was tobacco farmer and
legislator in Temanggung, East Java.
Not much was
heard from the farmer, but he broughtalong a bevy of “expert” to testify to
tobacco’s wonders. By their words shall you jugde them.
A star performer
was a professor of pharmacology, Aris Widodo, who told the court that smoking
“can eliminate anxiety, sharpen the concentration and increase calmness. We’re never heard of someone dying from smoking.”
“can eliminate anxiety, sharpen the concentration and increase calmness. We’re never heard of someone dying from smoking.”
He also said
that,
“though incidents of disease related to smoking are relatively high, smoking is not the only one factor, as genetic factors and pollutants play a rob too. Stress can be solved easily by smoking cigarettes instead of using other drugs. Valium is expensive.”
“though incidents of disease related to smoking are relatively high, smoking is not the only one factor, as genetic factors and pollutants play a rob too. Stress can be solved easily by smoking cigarettes instead of using other drugs. Valium is expensive.”
More research,
les imperialism
No one else
appeared to reach this level, but a molecular biology professor from Brawijaya
University, Malang, East Java, Sutiman Bambang Sumitro, said that,
“given enough knowledge, anything considered a toxin can be neutralized and used as a medicine,”
“given enough knowledge, anything considered a toxin can be neutralized and used as a medicine,”
Sadly, he noted
the tobacco companies didn’t have the proper research units for development of
such a product. Also weighing in on behalf of an apparently maligned and
mishandled wonder-drug, was a public health “expert” from Brawijaya, Jack
Rubiyoso, who took an international approach.
There was a medical imperialism in the mindset of western doctors who linked smoking to ill health, he said. The so-called dangerous substance in cigarettes
“is easily handled by family doctors.”
There was a medical imperialism in the mindset of western doctors who linked smoking to ill health, he said. The so-called dangerous substance in cigarettes
“is easily handled by family doctors.”
It was left to
the president of the Indonesian Internists Association, Aru Sudoyo, to say that
there was no question that cigarettes contain high concentrationsof
carcinogens.
“The problem was according to an anti-tobacco activist and former Democratic Party Legislator, Hakim Sorimuda Pohan, that “these scientists have dreams, but the dreams have gone too far.”
“The problem was according to an anti-tobacco activist and former Democratic Party Legislator, Hakim Sorimuda Pohan, that “these scientists have dreams, but the dreams have gone too far.”
The tobacco
companies certainly have dreams, but no nightmares. The tobacco manufactures
Sampoerna, with less than a third of the Indonesian market share, had a net
profit of close to rp 5,6 trillion last year (US$ 6 billion). Mind you, it had expenses,
what with court hearings and “experts”.
In case you
forgot, Indonesia has 65 million smokers and an annual death rate from
smoking-related diseases of about 200,000.
CR: Jakarta
Expat 12 Januari 2011- 25 Januari 2011
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