Are there safe cigarettes? Millions of people die each year from smoking-related diseases. Meanwhile, Big Tobacco continues to sell its products to the nearly 1 billion smokers around the world without accepting any liability. In this climate of devastating addiction and astronomical mortality rates, an alternative to dangerous tobacco has flourished, the cigarette. Promising all the pleasures of smoking without the deadly consequences, e-cigarettes have become so popular that even the world’s largest cigarette makers are eager to jump in and get a piece of the action. Welcome back, Big Tobacco, produced by Canadian documentary series The Fifth Estate, which examines whether this new phenomenon is the real savior or just fog and fog.
The filmmakers travel to the world’s second largest tobacco company – British American Tobacco – and witness the work that goes into creating the ideal vaping experience. In their top-secret labs, more than $800 million is spent developing e-cigarettes and other nicotine products that are less harmful than traditional cigarettes. But can a tobacco company really be trusted to regulate itself and encourage consumers to stop buying their most lucrative cash cow?
Host Mark Kelly confronts a representative of the company’s R&D department and gets bogged down on these key issues. He also spoke with members of the medical community who believe such alternatives are in the best interest of the public, ordinary citizens who are ditching cigarette packaging for vaporizers, and Canadian health officials who are hesitant about the ultimate safety of these alternative products. E-cigarettes Could it offer a real solution to a massive public health crisis, or a way to get more young people to smoke? Health Canada says more research is needed before a final decision can be made.
Strict regulations have prevented Big Tobacco from becoming players in Canada’s vaping industry, but that could soon change. With that in mind, welcome back, Big Tobacco is doing a valuable service by examining this controversial topic from multiple angles and educating its audience on all the potential risks and benefits involved.
