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Tobacco Industry Activities
in Mauritius January 2002
But BAT has discovered a new way to circumvent that law: "Charitable"
sponsorship, with the complicity of the Mauritian government. Since April
2000, BAT-Mauritius has sponsored 4 libraries in poor villages, inviting
several ministers to launch them. The medias would report the event and
publish the photos without commenting its illegal aspect. Our antismoking
association ViSa uses to make statements to the police and to alert the
public opinion each time we notice a breach of the Public Health Act which
is meant to protect public health...(We have reached our 36th statement
to the police !) And I must say that no minister attended the recent launching
of the BAT library at Bambous. Besides, BAT-Mauritius has sponsored : (i) a pre-natal and an orthopedic ward in Mauritian public hospitals, as well as (ii) a National Art Gallery and (iii)a home for old people. (iv) BAT-Mauritius illegally offers 10 undergraduate scholarships to the University of Mauritius, each year. (v) BAT sponsors a Professional Experience Scheme to 7 fresh graduates, giving them one year fully paid training opportunities in BAT-Mauritius (v)For the day of the Blinds, BAT has distributed T/S with its logo and a big tobacco leaf on it, to the charity walkers. BAT-Mauritius boasts about its " highly responsible corporate citizenship - having a long tradition of assistance on various social development projects for the betterment of the community with focus mainly on education and environmental protection projects" (Quoting M. Mohammad Aleem, general manager of BAT-Mauritius 4.10.2000- "News on Sunday") BAT is committed to "play its full part in the local community by supporting charitable institutions and organisations". BAT-Mauritius is also "committed to the preservation of our planet" ! It has been awarded the first prize in the National Occupational Health and Safety competition, held jointly by the ministry of Health and of Labour. (NO COMMENT). In Mauritius, " Lucky Strike " is commercialised by BAT without the right health warning , required by the Public Health Act of Mauritius nor any indication of tar and nicotine content. Some of these packs bought in Mauritius have been sent to France at " Laboratoire National d'Essais " of Trappes, through the " Office Français du Tabagisme ". The results of the analysis have been communicated on the 17th of May 2001. These cigarettes, made in USA by Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation,
Louisville, Kentucky- Code 02796925 - gave a mean result of nicotine :1.20
mg/cig. and tar :17.3 mg/cig. Compared to the same brand , made by the
same industry, in the same place, with the same packaging, but sold in
Europe and in America , where the contents of tar and nicotine written
on the pack are : nicotine :0,9mg and tar : 12 mg. Why do they deliberately
poison third world countries more severely ? |