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Letters September 9, 2003
Dear Letters Editor, Ottawa Citizen:
The Ottawa Citizen's support for tobacco-funded arts programs, and its
portrayal of tobacco companies as good corporate citizens, their coffers
overflowing with generosity, was crude. The tobacco companies' "charitable
donations" are tainted with the blood of the thousands of Canadians who are
disabled and killed each year by cigarettes and second-hand smoke. How
disheartening that the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival sold its soul to the
tobacco cartel! A tobacco industry cheque with dollar signs followed by lots
of zeroes apparently induces amnesia.
The Canadian government banned tobacco advertising because cigarettes kill
when used exactly as intended. Our government does not allow drug dealers to
advertise heroine or crack cocaine in the media or at sporting and artistic
events either.
Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, tobacco companies will do anything to
recruit new customers to replace the ones whom they have killed off. They
use young girls in tutus, blossoming musicians, and talented athletes to
camouflage their true motive.
The Canadian government should force the tobacco industry to compensate
dying smokers, victims of second-hand smoke, and taxpayers who spend
millions of dollars each year on tobacco-related health care expenses. Then
taxpayers would have lots of money left over to fund arts groups.
Carmela Graziani
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