England has a history of colonisation, and with this history is a long record of dealing in drugs. In the American colonies, a need arose to make the new charter companies successful, and one product that was brought to the European market was tobacco, a plant used by the native Americans in their religious ceremonies.
Sir Walter Raleigh, the owner-founder of a Virginia colony, introduced it into England, where it became popular as "snuff." The aristocrats carried powdered tobacco in little jeweled cases, and when the addiction called, they would take a pinch between the fingers and inhale it into the nostrils. Dainty handkerchiefs were carried in the sleeve to deal with the untidy aspects of this habit.
As part of their India experience, the English carried opium to China, where it was popularised as the magic ingredient of smoking pipes, which were lit in sleeping rooms in which the addicts could dream away their cares. The Chinese authorities found this practice had deleterious effects on the population, and outlawed the importation of opium.
In order to protect their profitable trade, the English vigorously negotiated for the right to sell, and when these failed they resorted to force. The resulting "war" gave the English both the concession to continue the opium trade and a 99-year lease on the island of Hong Kong. The lease expired last year, and the Chinese have shown no interest in renewing it. The English have viewed this as somewhat unfair, considering their improvements to the real estate. The Chinese are unmoved.
Battles in other countries
A few years ago, Thailand passed legislation prohibiting the importation of tobacco products. The US, a major tobacco exporter, brought a claim under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (Gatt), alleging that the laws were restraining trade. Thailand argued that there were exclusionary provisions for items which affect the health of the population. This was over-ruled on the grounds that Thailand maintained a brisk tobacco industry through its state-owned company, the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly.
Thailand was forced to allow the importation of not only American-made cigarettes, but the cigarettes of all other tobacco-exporting countries. Thailand maintains its interest in eliminating the health costs of smoking, and makes attempts to eradicate the menace with public anti-smoking campaigns and taxes.
Singapore has declared a determination to become the first state free of the smoking menace. Stiff fines face public smokers, and advertising is strictly prohibited. The effort to remove the nicotine pest has lasted 28 years. In spite of this, the cigarette companies have 18 percent of the present population as addicted consumers. The rate, however, continues to fall, though slowly. Australia is becoming more and more unfriendly toward the tobacco companies, and even the union for bar employees has now made noises to protect their members from the harmful effects of passive cigarette smoke.
The rate of smoking is Australia is now declining, and much of this is due to the orientation of Australians toward sport and health. The performance of the Australians in the past Olympic Games is a testament to their athletic abilities.
The prime minister seems interested in better sports performance. Let him demonstrate his sincerity by openly opposing the tobacco companies.
The enemy within
Malaysia has now increased the tax on tobacco products by 25 percent, and this, along with a vigorous anti-smoking campaign, will put Malaysia among those nations determined to resist the detrimental effects of globalisation.
What is needed now is a concerted campaign by the government to cooperate in a nationwide campaign to point out the serious health risks associated with tobacco use, and to end the close association of the sports ministry and the communications ministry with the Malaysian tobacco interests. The deceptive manner in which the tobacco companies continue to promote smoking through misleading ads must be outlawed.
Like the traders in opium, the nicotine traders have no concern for the serious problems their products cause. They have shown how far they will go to protect their profits. They are willing to go to war.
The defence minister is looking for an enemy to justify additional purchases of military hardware. Let him and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur look no further. The enemy is among us.
HARUN RASHID is a scientist avidly interested in the application of Islamic principles in international affairs. The promotion of goodwill through civilisational dialogue motivates his writing. His Worldview column is a personal analysis of Malaysian affairs from a global perspective. [ Worldview archives ]
