The war against legal poison
Poison is sold everyday in the streets of Miami. Sometimes in Overtown and Liberty City in the form of crack cocaine, sometimes in South Beach in the form of white powder, and daily in schools in small bags full of marijuana.
Tobacco, a legal poison sold at supermarkets or gas stations, has proved as deadly. It plagues its consumer with respiratory problems and cancer.
This doesn't stop smokers, whose minds are taken over by a compulsion and obsession that harms even their loved ones. Regardless, society has come to accept tobacco as legal.
"It's just a cigarette, I don't steal because I smoke," said George Vasquez, 28. "I don't lose my job."
He holds his the seemingly harmless thin white cylinder, takes a puff, and inhales to an apparent feeling of relief.
"My father smokes, he is o.k, my grandfather is still alive, and he used to smoke," said Vasquez.
The smoke surrounds his head, as he continues to exhale, in a rhythmic ceremony that fills his lungs with chemicals he cannot even spell. Vasquez says he smokes a box of cigarettes every two days. He prefers Malboro reds, because "its a classic."
The tobacco industry has proved profitable, and their marketing successful in maintaining a faithful consumer base, despite campaigns and warning of its effects. Their taxable contributions are significant, and in turn valued as aid in the strengthening of the U.S. effort to fight the war on drugs and terrorism.
Ironically, U.S. taxes beefed by this industry also fund aid to foreign countries such as the Plan Colombia meant to fight the black markets filling U.S. streets with Cocaine. By doing so, terror groups such as the FARC in Colombia are weakened. But any one who is familiar with these substances in metropolitan cities knows that they are as available today as they were five years ago.
This is because their demand remains. The tobacco industry is not being hunted by state or federal governments. However, a civil suit of unimaginable proportions is about to begin.
A firm based in Hollywood is advertising in newspapers around the country. They want to speak to "you or a family member who has suffered from or died as a result of smoking related ilnesses, including lung cancer, throat cancer, or severe copd/ephysema you may be entitled to recover money damages. Those who qualify must call 1-877-722-1400."
The suit claims that the tobacco industry deceived consumers by implying that light and menthol cigarettes had less risk of causing disease. The defense will likely be that consumers are aware of the dangers and that the companies have complied with a warning sign in each ad and box of their product.
"Smoking is an epidemic, you see the warnings but you don't care because you have to take some risks, you can't be all good," said Francesca Gomez, 17, who began to smoke at 14 years-old.
Gomez only smokes Newport Menthols, because she likes the taste. She also admits to have tried marijuana, and says she will try cocaine before she turns 30, because "you must try everything once."
Even if the civil suit is successful tobacco executives will go unharmed. At the most their stock will go down. Other beneficiaries of the industry such as supermarkets are not hurt for selling poison.
The double standards are evident for this is not so for black markets grown in third world countries.
For years, the Orejuelas brothers flaunted their golden riches through Colombia, U.S., and even Europe. It took more than a decade for them to be touched by justice. Just this week two Orejuelas brothers finally plead guilty to charges in a Miami-Dade court. They will serve in the U.S. not in their native Colombia.
But even though, their Cali cartel empire is gone, only to be replaced by the dirty dealings of the paramilitaries and the FARC, drugs remain hidden but alive on the streets.
It is as if the truth that nicotine kills is forgotten when it comes to prosecuting the crime of manufacturing, and selling a deadly combination of chemicals meant to be consumed.
Just like any addictive substance it doesn't respect socioeconomic boundaries, age, or gender. The tears of family members who die of cancer flow on black, hispanic, asian, and anglos' faces.
"I sometimes wonder, how they [Tobacco industry executives] can sleep at night knowing that people die every time they sell," said Natalie Suarez, 21. "Their ads are so sexy and fun, but smoking really doesn't have anything to do with that. They are liers and I hope some one makes them pay."
Poison is sold everyday in the streets of Miami. Sometimes in Overtown and Liberty City in the form of crack cocaine, sometimes in South Beach in the form of white powder, and daily in schools in small bags full of marijuana.
Tobacco, a legal poison sold at supermarkets or gas stations, has proved as deadly. It plagues its consumer with respiratory problems and cancer.
This doesn't stop smokers, whose minds are taken over by a compulsion and obsession that harms even their loved ones. Regardless, society has come to accept tobacco as legal.
"It's just a cigarette, I don't steal because I smoke," said George Vasquez, 28. "I don't lose my job."
He holds his the seemingly harmless thin white cylinder, takes a puff, and inhales to an apparent feeling of relief.
"My father smokes, he is o.k, my grandfather is still alive, and he used to smoke," said Vasquez.
The smoke surrounds his head, as he continues to exhale, in a rhythmic ceremony that fills his lungs with chemicals he cannot even spell. Vasquez says he smokes a box of cigarettes every two days. He prefers Malboro reds, because "its a classic."
The tobacco industry has proved profitable, and their marketing successful in maintaining a faithful consumer base, despite campaigns and warning of its effects. Their taxable contributions are significant, and in turn valued as aid in the strengthening of the U.S. effort to fight the war on drugs and terrorism.
Ironically, U.S. taxes beefed by this industry also fund aid to foreign countries such as the Plan Colombia meant to fight the black markets filling U.S. streets with Cocaine. By doing so, terror groups such as the FARC in Colombia are weakened. But any one who is familiar with these substances in metropolitan cities knows that they are as available today as they were five years ago.
This is because their demand remains. The tobacco industry is not being hunted by state or federal governments. However, a civil suit of unimaginable proportions is about to begin.
A firm based in Hollywood is advertising in newspapers around the country. They want to speak to "you or a family member who has suffered from or died as a result of smoking related ilnesses, including lung cancer, throat cancer, or severe copd/ephysema you may be entitled to recover money damages. Those who qualify must call 1-877-722-1400."
The suit claims that the tobacco industry deceived consumers by implying that light and menthol cigarettes had less risk of causing disease. The defense will likely be that consumers are aware of the dangers and that the companies have complied with a warning sign in each ad and box of their product.
"Smoking is an epidemic, you see the warnings but you don't care because you have to take some risks, you can't be all good," said Francesca Gomez, 17, who began to smoke at 14 years-old.
Gomez only smokes Newport Menthols, because she likes the taste. She also admits to have tried marijuana, and says she will try cocaine before she turns 30, because "you must try everything once."
Even if the civil suit is successful tobacco executives will go unharmed. At the most their stock will go down. Other beneficiaries of the industry such as supermarkets are not hurt for selling poison.
The double standards are evident for this is not so for black markets grown in third world countries.
For years, the Orejuelas brothers flaunted their golden riches through Colombia, U.S., and even Europe. It took more than a decade for them to be touched by justice. Just this week two Orejuelas brothers finally plead guilty to charges in a Miami-Dade court. They will serve in the U.S. not in their native Colombia.
But even though, their Cali cartel empire is gone, only to be replaced by the dirty dealings of the paramilitaries and the FARC, drugs remain hidden but alive on the streets.
It is as if the truth that nicotine kills is forgotten when it comes to prosecuting the crime of manufacturing, and selling a deadly combination of chemicals meant to be consumed.
Just like any addictive substance it doesn't respect socioeconomic boundaries, age, or gender. The tears of family members who die of cancer flow on black, hispanic, asian, and anglos' faces.
"I sometimes wonder, how they [Tobacco industry executives] can sleep at night knowing that people die every time they sell," said Natalie Suarez, 21. "Their ads are so sexy and fun, but smoking really doesn't have anything to do with that. They are liers and I hope some one makes them pay."
I'm glad to know that someone else feels like I do about cigarettes and drugs. I wrote a blog about drugs and how accessible they are to anyone, anytime. I think it's an epidemic in our society, we have turned our backs and "brushed our shoulders off" as if it didn't affect us but it does. It's the worst feeling in the world to see a loved one slowly decaying because of cancer or drug addiction. It rips part of our soul to see something like that happen to our mother, father, aunt or friends. I think it's time that society opens their eyes to the truth and do something about it.
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Anonymous |
10:07 AM