Tobacco farmers should switch to other crops
Jun 02, 2011
EDITOR: On Tuesday, John Nagenda wrote an article entitled "Tobacco industry has many players, let us balance regulation". Nagenda argues that the harm caused by tobacco growing has been considerably mitigated.
EDITOR: On Tuesday, John Nagenda wrote an article entitled "Tobacco industry has many players, let us balance regulation". Nagenda argues that the harm caused by tobacco growing has been considerably mitigated.
For example, child labour is heavily discouraged as is depletion of natural forests. He sympathises with tobacco farmers with their families who number about 30,000. I do not agree with him. Most smokers in Uganda are the rudest I have ever met in the world.
They have no courtesy and have no idea how most non-smokers destest cigarette smoke. Not only is the smoke very harmful to both smokers and non-smokers, it is extremely irritating and offensive to many.
This is a fact that most smokers do not seem to know. Choosing to smoke is one's private business but why force it down the lungs of non-smokers, including pregnant women, children and babies?
Non-smokers have no choice! Where can they put their noses? I suspect cigarette smoke does not irritate Nagenda as it does most non-smokers.
That probably explains why he could endure the smoke in the BAT board room for 25 years. Tobacco farmers should change to another 'human-friendly' crop. Period! Even slave traders lost a lot of revenue when slave trade was abolished but I cannot find it in my heart to sympathise with them.
A similar argument was advanced about the manufacturers of polythene bags. They would lose a lot of business, it was said. They should change to paper bags and leave plastics alone.
Marijuana growers also make a lot of money but fortunately the practice is outlawed. People should not accept to suffer silently for the pleasure and profit of a few people who choose to live their lives recklessly.
Rebecca Namusoke
Kampala
For example, child labour is heavily discouraged as is depletion of natural forests. He sympathises with tobacco farmers with their families who number about 30,000. I do not agree with him. Most smokers in Uganda are the rudest I have ever met in the world.
They have no courtesy and have no idea how most non-smokers destest cigarette smoke. Not only is the smoke very harmful to both smokers and non-smokers, it is extremely irritating and offensive to many.
This is a fact that most smokers do not seem to know. Choosing to smoke is one's private business but why force it down the lungs of non-smokers, including pregnant women, children and babies?
Non-smokers have no choice! Where can they put their noses? I suspect cigarette smoke does not irritate Nagenda as it does most non-smokers.
That probably explains why he could endure the smoke in the BAT board room for 25 years. Tobacco farmers should change to another 'human-friendly' crop. Period! Even slave traders lost a lot of revenue when slave trade was abolished but I cannot find it in my heart to sympathise with them.
A similar argument was advanced about the manufacturers of polythene bags. They would lose a lot of business, it was said. They should change to paper bags and leave plastics alone.
Marijuana growers also make a lot of money but fortunately the practice is outlawed. People should not accept to suffer silently for the pleasure and profit of a few people who choose to live their lives recklessly.
Rebecca Namusoke
Kampala