February 14, 2012 Anthropologist Peter Benson, PhD, released a new book titled “Tobacco Capitalism” that examines the impact of tobacco production in the United States on farmers, workers, and the public. He explains that the tobacco industry is increasingly purchasing their tobacco leaves from developing countries, pressuring American farmers to lower their prices to compete with overseas producers. Many American farmers are hiring undocumented migrant farm workers to compete economically, putting them at the center of contentious political debates about illegal immigration. These migrant workers live in “labor camps” with poor living conditions, and have little access to resources like health care, legal services, and employment benefits. Benson also discusses tobacco industry marketing strategies, which have undergone what he calls a “corporate social responsibility makeover,” shifting responsibility from the companies (for making a harmful product) to consumers (for supposedly choosing it) and claiming to create “safer” tobacco products.
For More Information:
http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Book_Review_440/New_Book_Examines_Impact_of_U_S_Tobacco_Industry_printer.shtml
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