Tobacco research is a real battle-field where cigarette manufacturers and tobacco researches struggle for funds. The attempts to discourage smokers from cigarettes have to rival for funds with tobacco manufacturers, and in a one-sided battle they are unfortunate practically all the time. This happens because such departments as the Ministry of Science and Technology, National Natural Science Foundation and Ministry of Health do not set aside funds for tobacco control.

The limited quantity of money that is allocated for this purpose depends on the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, which monitors tobacco production, advertisement, imports and exports.

A recently conducted research demonstrated the remote relations between tobacco manufacturers and tobacco control activists. A scientific officer with the Institute of Biophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, switched to the Beijing Cigarette Factory in 1988 for collaboration on an innovated kind of filter tip that would decrease the risks for smokers. Joining Zhao’s research, the cigarette manufacturer put tea polyphenols, which are supposed to quell the carcinogens that cigarettes possess, into its new filter tips.

The collaboration however didn’t please Zhao. He discovered that smokers lighted up more frequently because tea polyphenols make the cigarettes taste softer.Therefore Zhao directed his research on helping people to quit their habit. And thee by the factory ceased funding them. Afterward he asked the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration for money, which as expected, was not desired. Since then, the cigarette companies have proceeded to debate, twist, or even ignore the clear evidence against tobacco use.

According to estimates in 2010, the tobacco industry produced about $95 billion in taxes and revenue, a sum of money that is quite significant to fight down the government’s desire to monitor tobacco. Recently a non-governmental environmental organization examined 51 restaurants situated in Beijing and found that only 10 had prohibited smoking since May when China prohibited smoking in all public and work places.

The fact that the majority of Chinese restaurants continue to be enveloped with tobacco smoke can’t be separated from the government’s fragile regulations and terrible law enforcement on smoking. The general effective tax rate of 40% on a package of cigarettes in China is lower in comparison to international average, which fluctuates from 65 to 70 %. Yet increasing taxes and prices have demonstrated to be the most workable means of decreasing smoking rate. The government should show the political wish to take on the largest tobacco industry and increase the cost of smoking products.

By Steve Shepherd, Staff Writer. Copyright © 2011 Cigarette-Store.org. All rights reserved.