搜索
TheWeirdWorldofTobaccoByAnnaQuidlen[1]ImaginethatmillionsofAmericansareaddictedtoalethal(poisonous/deadly)drug,yettheFoodandDrugAdministrationhadrepeatedlyrefusedtoregulate(control)it.Imaginethatwhen(while)theFDAdoesitsduty,anappealscourtdecidesitcannotdoso,thatthedrugissodangerousthatiftheFDAregulatedit,itwouldhavetobebanned.[2]Welcometothetopsy-turvy(是非颠倒的)worldoftobacco,wherenothingmuchmakessense(bemeaningful)exceptthevastprofits,wheretobacco-companyexecutivesslip-slidealongthecontinuum(连续统一体)fromaggrieved(sad)innocencetoheartfelt(sincere真诚的)regretwithoutbreaking(shedblood)asweat,andwheretheonlypeoplewhoseemtobeabletoshootstraight(hitthetarget命中目标的)arethejurors(judges)whodecidetheubiquitous(common)lawsuits.[3]Themostrecentpanel(court)handeddownajudgmentof$145billion—thelargestjuryawardinhistory—onbehalfofsicksmokersinFlorida.Lawyersforthetobaccocompaniesthunderedthatthejudgmentwouldbankruptthem,yetthestockmarketscarcely(hardly)shuddered.Expertssaidtheamountwouldlikely(possible)bereducedwhencoolerjudicialheadsprevailed.[4]Thejurors—whogaveuptwoyearsoftheirlives,listenedtoendlesswitnessesandyetdeliberated(gave)onlyafewhours—couldbeforgiveniftheyfeltthey'dfallendownAlice'srabbitholeintoWonderland,wheretheQueenofHeartscriesOffwiththeirheads(Killthem)butnooneiseverexecuted(killed).[5]AlGore,forinstance,inspired(=encouraged)bythedeathofhissisterfromlungcancer,hasinsistedthathewilldoeverythinghecantokeepcigarettesoutofthehandsofchildren.Buthesayshewouldneveroutlawcigarettesbecausemillionsofpeoplesmoke.Howmanyusersmandatelegality?Whatabouttheestimated3.6millionchroniccocaineusers,orthe2.4millionpeoplewhoadmittohavingshot(injected)orsnortedheroin?[6]Icanalmostfeelallthesmokers,tiredofstandingoutsidetheirofficebuildingspuffingintherain,jumpingupanddownandyelling,Tobaccoisdifferentfromillicitdrugs!Becauseitislegal?Nowthere'sacircularargument.[7]Ahundredyearsagothesaleofcigaretteswasagainstthelawin14states.TheSupremeCourthadconcludedof(about)cigarettes,Theypossessnovirtue(goodquality),butareinherentlybad,andbadonly.Atthetime(Then),Coca-Colacontainedtracesofcocaine,andheroinwasincoughsyrups.[8]Sincethentobaccocompanieshavespreadpoliticalcontributionsaroundlikeweedkilleronthelawninsummer,supportinglargelycomplicitRepublicans,wholikefreeenterprise(andsoftmoney)morethantheyhateemphysema.(GeorgeW.Bushrespondedtoaquestionabouttherecentmega-settlement(judge/decision)bybemoaningalitigiousnation.)[9]Responsibility-mindedAmericansaccept(considered)theargumentthatindividualshavetherighttopoisonthemselves,althoughstudiesshowingthatthevastmajorityofsmokersbeganasminors(asyoungchildren)raisequestionsaboutinformedconsent.[10]Officialtobaccoapologists(apology.n./apologize.vt.)spentyearsinsistingtheirproductdidnotcausecancer,andthenthatitwasnotaddictive(n.).Nowthey'vedonea180,arguingthatsincethereisnosuchthingasasafecigarette,theFDA,createdtoregulatethesafetyofproducts,cannottouchthem.Ifthissounds(=is)likehavingitbothways,that'sbecauseitis.[11]Meanwhile(=atthesametime),PhilipMorrismakeslargecontributionstosoupkitchens,balletcompanies,museumsandshelters—beingagoodcitizenwiththeprofitsofaproductthatkills400,000peopleayear.Andmagazinesrunarticlesaboutthedangersofcigarettesinthesameissuesthatadvertisethem.[12]Eventobaccofoeshavefudged(hesitated).WhenDr.DavidKesslerran(administrate)theFDA,hepubliclyconcluded(said)whateveryonealreadyknew:thatcigarettesarenothingmorethanadeliverydevice(media)fornicotine,adangerousandaddictivedrug.Buttheagencydidnottaketheobviousnextstep.TheFood,Drug,andCosmeticActforbidsthesale(sell)ofanydrugthatisnotsafeandeffective,andpartoftheFDA'smandate(responsibility)istoregulatedevices.Cigarettesareadevice(media/equipment).Thedrugandchemicalstheydeliverarepatently(obviously)unsafe.Ergo(Therefore),cigarettesshouldbebanned.[13]That'snotgoingtohappeninourlifetime.Toomanytobaccofarmers,toomanytobaccoaddicts;arighttoalivelihood(happiness),arighttoalifestyle.[Thesearguments(reasons)holdfor(support)legalizingillicitdrugsaswell,butnevermind.][14]ProhibitionisadirtywordinAmerica.Buttobaccocaninnowaybecomparedwithalcohol.Manypeoplecananddodrinksafelyandinmoderation,whileitisimpossibletosmokewithoutsomepernicioushealtheffects,andnearly(almost)allsmokerscanbedescribedasaddicts.[15]Public-serviceannouncements,catchy(attractive)commercials(advertisements)forkids,settlementswiththestatestorecover(pay)healthcarecosts:thetobaccocompanies,whichoncesworetheyweredoingnothingwrong,arenowwillingtolosesomeideologicalbattlestowinthewaroftheprofitmargin.OnePhilipMorrisexecutiveappearingatarecent(press)conferencetoldKessler,whoseeffortstorestrictsalesandadvertisingaimedatchildrenspawned(fought)abattleroyalofbillablehours,thathewelcomedseriousregulation(control)ofthetobaccoindustryatthefederallevel.Nowtheytellus.[16]Whyshouldn'ttheMarlboromenplaytheangles?Thepublicandthepolshaveprovidedthemwithsomany(chancestoplayangles).[17]Hereisthebottomline:cigarettesaretheonlylegalproductthat,when(while)usedasdirected(directly)causedeath.(843words)ABOUTT