TIME TO THINK ABOUT HAVING THE TOBACCO SMOKERS TAKE UP MEDICAL INSURANCE

It is true that Tobbaco is a killer, yet when one gets sick, he looks to Government for meeting his medical bills.  The way forward should be to legislate and make it illegal for anybody to smoke when he/she is not insured.  Many poor people smoke and take drugs given the frustration they are going through as many are unemployed.   

This makes them good victims of Cancer and other medical complications and they at the end have to look to Government for funding their sickness.  This can be addressed when it becomes illegal smoking irrespective of where on smokes from.  One should only smoke when he/she has medical insurance or alternatively, has accumulated such money that can go along way in meeting his medical bills.

As the anti Homosexual bill, smoking is a habit which can be avoided.  Let it be allowed to those who have the means to finance once Cancer or other complications come into being.

 

What causes cancer?

The reason why one individual but not another develops cancers may be difficult to pinpoint. Research conducted by doctors shows that certain experiences (called risk factors) influence the risk for cancer. The risk factors cause body cells to grow abnormally without stopping and to invade other body organs. Cells invading other body organs can be compared to people from one household going and taking over another household and using resources from that household without permission.

The most common risk factors for cancer are:

• Cancer can occur at any age, but the risk for most cancers increases as people grow old. The risk may increase because older people have had more experiences that influence the risk for cancer or because the body fails to remove abnormal cells so that some of them continue to grow as cancer. For some cancers, the risk increases several hundred-fold from childhood to adult age over 65 years.
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• Tobacco: Smoking cigarettes or tobacco regularly increases the risk for many cancers, including lung, mouth, throat, head and neck, kidney, bladder, and many other cancers. The risk is also increased even if you breath smoke being blown by a person smoking near you.
• Quitting smoking or visiting areas where people smoke is the surest way to reduce your risk of getting cancer from tobacco.
• For children, teaching them about the dangers of tobacco so they do not smoke is an important way of reducing their risk of getting cancers caused by tobacco.
• Governments can help by making laws that stop the sale of tobacco to children, increase the cost of tobacco products, stop tobacco use in public places, and make tobacco companies put warning labels on their products.

 (NB) Other causes are not relevant to this argument

 Uganda changes health warning sign on cigarettes 

Uganda has begun enforcing compulsory requirements for cigarette manufacturers and importers to label packets with a stronger warning about the health risks of smoking.

This is aimed to warn the public on the public health risks that are linked to tobacco use, and in particular cigarette smoking. Uganda now becomes the second East African country after Kenya to implement such a requirement.

Under the new requirements issued by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), the new health warning on cigarette packets should read, “Cigarette Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Diseases and Death.” The warning should have a Swahili translation that reads, “Uvutaji Wa Sigara Husababisha Saratani ya Mapafu, Magonjwa ya Moto na Kifo.”

Effective 1st September 2010, it became illegal to manufacture or import tobacco products into Uganda that do not bear these requirements. The new warning must cover 30% the packet and must be displayed in bold print. Also, the cigarette packet should indicate the number of cigarettes contained including the tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide content as well as the name and address of manufacturer.

The new warning on cigarettes is a culmination of two years of negotiation between the tobacco companies and UNBS to change the warnings that were considered inadequate and did not explain risks of tobacco use.

Okumu v. B.A.T. & Mastermind Tobacco Ltd.

Thomas Okumu sued British American Tobacco (BAT) and Mastermind Tobacco Ltd, claiming that the defective nature of their cigarettes caused him to develop lung cancer.

This order discusses procedural matters related to the case as well as whether the case is a representative action or a public interest suit.  (Okumu contended that the case is a public interest suit.)  The Court ruled that (1) the case is a representative action because, among other reasons, it was filed as a class action, but that (2) the suit is barred by law.  Accordingly, the Court did not reach other procedural issues.

Oribi v. British American Tobacco [Uganda] [November 24, 2000]

An individual who smoked since 1985 and subsequently suffered detrimental health effects brought a suit against BAT claiming misrepresentation based on their health warnings on cigarette packs.  This ruling addresses BAT’s preliminary attempt to dismiss the claims on the grounds of a statute of limitations violation, failure to state a claim and frivolous litigation.  While the court is suspect of the merits of the misrepresentation claim, it holds that none of the grounds for dismissal are appropriate at this preliminary stage and the claimant should have an opportunity to make his case at trial.  The motions to dismiss are rejected.