December 3, 1995
Web posted at: 2:15 p.m. EST (1915 GMT)
From Bangkok Bureau Chief Tom Mintier
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (CNN) -- As tobacco sales decline in the United States and Europe, manufacturers are turning to a bold new market: Asia. There, both men and women are lighting up in record numbers. That's a trend tobacco makers want to stoke.
As the economies of Asia improve, so do sales of tobacco products. As in the United States, there are people on both sides of the fence on the issue.
In support of efforts to increase smoking in Asia are farmers in countries like Thailand who make a good living from growing tobacco. Although their product is not necessarily of the highest quality, it is often used as filler in American cigarettes because the nicotine level is low.
For example, Hiran Chantata's small three-acre plot produces enough tobacco to put food on the table. "It's a lot more money than I can make growing rice," he said. "A lot more."
Overall, some half million families in Asia make a living from the tobacco business, producing more than 30 million tons of leaf for the local market and for export.
As smoking increases in Asia, so too do the efforts of anti-smoking lobbyists. They're pressuring governments to adopt stronger anti-smoking policies -- even though many of those governments hold monopolies on tobacco.
At a recent conference in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai, anti-tobacco advocates gathered to formulate a battle plan. And, as in other regions, young people played a part.
In one presentation, school children sang about the dangers of smoking and how they want their parents to quit. "The only present I want for my birthday," they sang in unison, "is for you to quit smoking." (808K QuickTime movie)
According to the anti-tobacco contingent, cigarette manufacturers target their advertising to women and children in particular. And in Asia, tobacco ads are highly visible; they're not banned from TV and sporting events, as in the United States.
"Sixty percent of the world's population lives in Asia, so it's big market potential," said Dr. Hatai Chitanondh, president of the Asia-Pacific Association for Control of Tobacco. "It is their savior. Otherwise the tobacco companies would be heading for collapse. But Asia is a green turf. Imagine, China alone is 300 million smokers."
By capturing the China market, tobacco companies could replace all other losses elsewhere in the world.
In recent years, the U.S. government threatened sanctions to open markets in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea to American tobacco growers. Those involved in Asia's anti-tobacco movement see China as the next domino.
Oxford University's Dr. Richard Peto says a new study shows China will soon record the highest death rate from smoking. "China has already got about 1.2 million deaths every year from smoking," he said. "That's 10,000 deaths every week." Peto said the number will rise to 2 million before too long. (213K AIFF sound or 213K WAV sound)
For a region already deeply affected by an HIV epidemic, the new smoking death projections are disturbing. And as more and more Asians pick up the smoking habit, persuading them to quit won't be easy.
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