Fodya ndi Kusanthula

“Kusanthula Kokwanira! Ufulu wa kulankhula—kuphatikizapo ufulu wa kusatsa malonda—kuli kuyenera kumene tiyenera kusungilira. Chiletso pa kusatsa malonda a ndudu sichikuchirikizidwa ndi ambiri a anthu a ku America.”—Kusatsa kwa mu nyuzipepala, January 1989, kozikidwa pa “kufunsidwa kwa m’dziko kwa pa lamya kochitidwa pa achikulire 1500.” Koma kodi 1,500 imaimira “unyinji wa nzika za ku America”?

OSATSA malonda a fodya amatsutsa kuti kusatsa malonda kwawo sikumayambitsa anthu kusuta. Iwo amangogamulapo kokha kugawira malonda pakati pa mbali zosiyanasiyana. Ngakhale kuli tero, kuwonjezereka komwe kulipo pakati pa akazi osuta kumapanga kudzinenera kumeneko kukhala kotsutsika. Koma pali chisonkhezero china chosakaza chimene chimachokera m’mphamvu yotsanuliridwa ndi osatsa malonda a fodya.

M’zaka zaposachedwapa makampani a fodya a ku U.S. adzibweretsera iwo eni ulemu winawake mwa kugula makampani a zakudya ndi kuchotsa liwu lakuti fodya kuchoka m’maina awo olembetsedwa. Chotero, American Tobacco Company inakhala American Brands; R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company posachedwapa inakhala RJR/Nabisco; Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation inakhala Brown and Williamson Industries. Koma kodi nchiyani chimene chiri chimodzi cha za kusintha kumeneku? Chididikizo chowonjezereka cha kusatsa malonda. Tero motani?

Ngakhale magazini omwe sanasonyezepo kusatsa malonda kwa fodya ayenera kulingalira kaŵiri ponena za kufalitsa nkhani zosuliza kusuta ndi zopangidwa za fodya. Zowona, msonkho wosatsira malonda a fodya sungatayidwe. Koma bwanji ponena za makampani ena amene tsopano ali ziŵalo za magwero a fodya ndi kusatsa chakudya kapena zopangidwa zina? Ndipo bwanji ponena za nkhani kapena ndemanga zimene zingaike kusuta m’kuwunika koipa? Pano pali maziko kaamba ka kusanthula kwaumwini kosamalitsa, chifupifupi kwachindunji.

Nkhani yokondweretsa m’nsongayi, iri kope la Newsweek la June 6, 1983. Makope otuluka imeneyo isadatero ndi kutsatira ija ya June 6 ananyamula kuchokera pa masamba asanu ndi aŵiri kufika ku khumi a kusatsa malonda kwa ndudu. Koma Newsweek ya pa June 6 inanyamula masamba 4.3 pa mipambo yokangana yokhala ndi mutu wakuti “Kuchepetsa pa Kusuta.” Kodi ndi masamba angati a kusatsa malonda a ndudu amene iyo inanyamula mu kope imeneyo? Palibe ndi imodzi yomwe. Mkonzi White akulongosola kuti: “Pamene makampani a ndudu anadziŵa za makonzedwe kaamba ka nkhaniyo, iwo anafunsa kuti kusatsa malonda kwawo kuchotsedwe. Magaziniyo ingakhale inataikiridwa yochulukira pa $1 miliyoni m’kusatsa malonda kaamba ka kufalitsa nkhani imeneyo.”

Msonkho wosatsira malonda uli mwazi wamoyo wa magazini ndi manyuzipepala. Umboni umasonyeza kuti akonzi amalingalira mosamalitsa ponena za nkhani zimene iwo adzafalitsa m’kusuliza indastri ya fodya, ngati pali iriyonse. Wolemba wina wa zaumoyo analongosola kuti: “Mwachitsanzo, nditaika kusuta pa ndandanda ya zinthu zimene zimapangitsa matenda a mtima, mkonzi wanga adzakhoza mwinamwake kuika iyo kumapeto kwa ndandandayo kapena kungoisiya.” Monga mmene mwambi umanenera, “Iye amene aliza nkhweru amaitanira kaamba ka maimbidwe.” Kusanthula kwaumwini kwakhala chochitika cha tsiku ndi tsiku.

Mokondweretsa, The Wall Street Journal inasimba kuti pa nyengo yoposa zaka zisanu ndi chimodzi mkati mwa imene magazini aŵiri achisonkhezero kwa akuda ankawunikira kusatsa malonda a fodya, palibe iriyonse ya iwo imene inafalitsa nkhani yochita mwachindunji ndi kusuta ndi umoyo. Kokha mwa ngozi? Mwachiwonekere, magazini omwe amasatsa malonda a zopangidwa za fodya sangalume mpang’ono pomwe dzanja limene limawadyetsa iwo. Chotero iwo amapeŵa kuvumbula ngozi za kusuta.

Kubwereramo kumeneku mu nkhani ya fodya, kusuta, ndi kusatsa malonda kumatithandiza ife kuwona kuti unyinji uli pangozi. Kwa olima fodya, kukhalapo kwawo kuli pangozi. Kwa ochita malonda a fodya, ogulitsa, mapindu awo aakulu ali pangozi. Kwa maboma, njira yawo yolipiritsa msonkho iri pangozi. Ndipo kwa mamiliyoni omwe amasuta, umoyo wawo ndi miyoyo yawo iri pangozi.

Ngati inu muli wosuta kapena mukuyembekeza kuyamba kusuta, chosankha chiri chanu. Monga mmene nduna zotchuka za fodya za U.S. zimakondera kukukumbutsani inu, kuli kuyenera kwanu kwa lamulo kusuta. Koma kumbukirani, chimenecho chimatanthauzanso kuti kuli kuyenera kwanu kwa lamulo kuika moyo pa chiswe cha kufa ndi kansa ya mapapo kapena ya pa mmero, matenda a mtima ndi mitsempha yake ya mwazi, emphysema, nthenda ya Buerger (onani bokosi pa tsamba 9), ndi unyinji wa matenda ena akupha. Kumbali ina, ngati inu mukufuna kuleka kusuta, ndimotani mmene mungachichitire icho? Kodi nchiyani chomwe chiri chofunika? Chisonkhezero!

[Chithunzi patsamba 12]

Dokotala wotumbula wamkulu wa ku U.S. Koop wachenjeza mokhazikika motsutsana ndi ngozi za kugwiritsira ntchito fodya

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Public Health Service photo