Bloomberg and Gates tackle Tobacco
July 29th, 2008 at 4:20 pm | posted by Betsy AvilaNew York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and philanthropist Bill Gates announced plans to raise $500 million for a campaign used to kick Big Tobacco – you guessed it – in the butt.
This is particularly significant for developing nations, as they are becoming popular targets for cigarette companies’ market demographic.
From the New York Times (Op-ed):
[Bloomberg and Gates’] target is a worthy one: tobacco companies and government-owned tobacco enterprises trying to addict hundreds of millions of new customers in the developing world as sales stagnate or shrivel in the industrialized nations…. The goal [of the campaign] is to reverse the rapid rise of smoking in such countries as China, India and Russia and to head off the epidemic in Africa before it can become entrenched.
Many countries have become addicted to the revenues generated by tobacco taxes or government-owned tobacco companies. They will have to be persuaded that the long-term health damage caused by tobacco far exceeds any short-term gain from tobacco revenues.
Bloomberg and Gates have already committed $375 to begin burning-out the competition – and plan on getting to the neediest countries before Big Tobacco does.
-Betsy Avila
July 29th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
So…many…puns. I’m just glad you didn’t go with something like “kick the tobacco companies in the ash.”
July 30th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Jules,
Hate the game, not the player. What’s wrong with the occasional pun or some alliteration?
July 30th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Haha…I never said puns were bad. I’m just glad she didn’t go overboard. Betsy and I love puns!
July 31st, 2008 at 9:22 pm
“Bloomberg and Gates have already committed $375…” — Betsy
Are you leaving off some zeroes from the number, Betsy? Somehow I don’t think multimillionaires donating $375 is all that impressive.