ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN PROVIDING TOBACCO TO DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES - THE CASE OF CHINA

We should recognize that we have a responsibility to people who live o utside our own borders, and view ourselves as part of the global commu nity. Looking at China we are faced with ethical dilemmas which requir e consideration. First, there is the ethical dilemma of business versu s health. The opening and development of the tobacco business in China , which includes vigorous marketing, is considered against the health consequences of tobacco use which is estimated to cost 600 000 lives a nnually in China, rising to 2 million by 2025 without effective tobacc o control programmes. A second ethical dilemma is employment versus im poverishment, in which the opportunities for work in the tobacco indus try are considered against a background of malnutrition caused in part by a proportion of household budgets used to buy tobacco, and the ero sion of the land, as trees are used to produce tobacco. Gains have alr eady been made in tobacco control in China, with the way open for much development in the future.