Tawa Ne Nhwehwɛmu
“Nhwehwɛmu a ɛdɔɔso! Kasa mu ahofadi—a ahofadi a yɛwɔ sɛ yɛbɔ nea yɛtɔn ho dawuru no ka ho—yɛ hokwan a ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkora so. Amerikafo pii sɔre tia Sigaret ho dawurubɔ a wɔabara no.”—January 1989 atesɛm krataa mu dawurubɔ bi a egyina “nsɛm a wɔnam telefone so bisabisaa mpanyimfo 1,500 wɔ ɔman no mu nyinaa so.” Nanso so nnipa 1,500 no gyina hɔ ma “Amerikafo dodow mu fã kɛse”?
TAWA ho adawurubɔfo ka sɛ ɛnyɛ wɔn dawurubɔ no na ɛmma nkurɔfo fĩ ase nnom sigaret. Ɛma wohu sigaret ahorow no mu biara ara kwa. Nanso, mmea a wɔnom sigaret a wɔn dodow renya nkɔanim no ma asɛm sɔre wɔ nea wɔka no ho. Nanso nkɛntɛnso bɔne foforo a efi tawa ho adawurubɔfo tumi a wɔde di dwuma mu ba no wɔ hɔ.
Wɔ nnansa yi mfe mu no, U.S. tawa ho adwumakuw ahorow ama nidi aba wɔn ho denam nnuan adwumakuw a wɔtotɔ na woyi asɛmfua tawa no fi wɔn mmara kwan so din mu no so. Enti, Amerika Tawa Adwumakuw no bɛyɛɛ American Brands; R.J. Reynolds Tawa Adwumakuw no abɛyɛ RJR/ Nabisco nnansa yi; Brown ne Williamson Tawa Adwumakuw bɛyɛɛ Brown ne Williamson Industries. Nanso dɛn ne nea afi nsakrae yi mu aba mu biako? Aguade ho dawurubɔ a emu yɛ den pii. Ɔkwan bɛn so?
Ɛsɛ sɛ nsɛmma nhoma a wɔmmɔɔ tawa ho dawuru wom da no mpo hwɛ yiye wɔ nsɛm a etia sigaretnom ne nneɛma a wɔde tawa yɛ a ɛbɛka no ho. Nokwarem no, ebia wɔrenhwere tow a wotua wɔ tawa tɔn dawurubɔ mu no. Nanso adwumakuw ahorow a mprempren ɛyɛ tawa tɔnfo mpanyimfo de na ɛbɔ aduan ne nneɛma afoforo ho dawuru no ɛ? Na nsɛm a wɔka tia sigaret nom no nso ɛ? Eyi na ɛsɛ sɛ obi gyina so yɛ n’ankasa ho mu nhwehwɛmu.
Nea wɔka ho asɛm wɔ ha ne nea ɛbaa June 6, 1983, Newsweek mu no. Na nea edii June 6 de no anim ne akyi bae no nyinaa mu nkratafa ason kosi du yɛ nea ɛbɔ sigaret ho dawuru. Nanso na June 6 Newsweek mu nkratafa 4.3 kura akyinnyegye nsɛm a n’asɛmti ne “Ɔkasa a Etia Sigaretnom.” Nkratafa ahe na na ekura sigaret ho dawurubɔ. Na ebi nni mu. Ɔkyerɛwfo White ka sɛ: “Bere a sigaret adwumakuw ahorow no tee sɛ wɔreyɛ asɛm no ho nhyehyɛe no, wɔkae sɛ wonyi wɔn dawurubɔ ahorow no mfi mu. Ebia nsɛmma nhoma no hweree aguade ho dawurubɔ mu sika bɛyɛ dɔla ɔpepem 1, esiane saa asɛm no a ɛkyerɛwee no nti.”
Tow a nsɛmma nhoma ne atesɛm nkrataa gye wɔ aguade ahorow ho dawurubɔ ho no titiriw na ɛma enya sika. Adanse ahorow da no adi sɛ samufo de ahwɛyiye na ɛka nsɛm a etia tawa ho adwumakuw no. Aduruyɛ mu ɔkyerɛwfo bi kae sɛ: “Sɛ nhwɛso no, sɛ mekyerɛw sigaretnom ka nneɛma a ɛde komayare ba ho a, me samufo bɛma atwa to anaasɛ obeyi afi mu koraa.” Sɛnea ɛbɛ no ka no, “Nea ɔbɔ odwontofo ho ka no na ɔkyerɛ dwom a ɛsɛ sɛ ɔto.” Nhwehwɛmu a obi ankasa yɛ ma ne ho na aba so nnɛ.
Nea ɛyɛ anigye no, Wall Street Journal bɔɔ amanneɛ sɛ wɔ nea ɛboro mfirihyia asia a abibifo nsɛmma nhoma abien bi de bɔɔ tawa ho dawuru no, emu biara anka nsɛm a ɛfa sigaretnom ne akwahosan ho tee ho asɛm. So ɛbae saa ara kwa? Akyinnye biara nni ho sɛ, nsɛmma nhoma a ɛbɔ nneɛma a wɔde tawa yɛ ho dawuru no rentumi nka nsa a ɛma no aduan di no. Enti wɔpowee sɛ wɔbɛma asiane ahorow a ɛwɔ sigaretnom mu no ada adi.
Tawa, sigaretnom ne aguade ho dawurubɔ ho asɛm mu nhwehwɛmu yi boa yɛn ma yehu sɛ nneɛma pii ho aba asɛm. Wɔ wɔn a wodua tawa fam no, wɔn asetra ho aba asɛm. Wɔ tawa tɔnfo mpanyimfo no fam no, wɔn mfaso akɛse no ho aba asɛm. Wɔ nniso ahorow fam no, ɛho tow a wogye no ho aba asɛm. Na wɔ nnipa ɔpepem pii a wɔnom sigaret fam no, wɔn akwahosan ne wɔn nkwa ho aba asɛm.
Sɛ wonom sigaret anaasɛ wopɛ sɛ wufi sigaretnom ase a, wo na ɛsɛ sɛ wopaw nea wobɛyɛ. Sɛnea U.S. tawa ho adwumayɛfo mpanyimfo pɛ sɛ wɔbɔ wo nkae no, wowɔ hokwan wɔ mmara mu sɛ wo nom sigaret. Nanso kae sɛ, ɛno nso kyerɛ sɛ wowɔ hokwan wɔ mmara mu sɛ wo de wo ho to ahrawa anaa menewa mu akisikuru, komayare, mpafe, Buerger yare (hwɛ adaka no mu wɔ kratafa 9) , ne nyarewa pii a ekunkum nnipa a ɛbɛma wawu no ho asiane mu. Nea ɛne eyi bɔ abira no, sɛ wopɛ sɛ wogyae sigaretnom a, ɔkwan bɛn so na wo bɛfa ayɛ saa? Dɛn na ɛho hia? Nkanyan!
[Kratafa 12 mfoni]
U.S. oduruyɛfo panyin Koop bɔ asiane ahorow a ɛwɔ tawa a wɔde di dwuma mu no ho kɔkɔ daa
[Asɛm Fibea]
Public Health Service photo