Hello Men, check this out…An Indian Medicine Bag can be a very powerful and awesome good luck charm to have! These beauties sometimes help people to WIN tons of money when they are gambling! Many sports enthusiasts are gamblers, and they believe in having “Good Luck” on their side, and are looking forward to their next great Winning Streak!
Currency traders, day traders of stocks, and many other investors, can also use some good luck and an amulet or good luck charm might be able to help them from time to time! Whether you bet fifty bucks on a football game, or a thousand dollars on a roll of the dice at a casino, you could use some Good Luck, and there’s no better way to attract some of that good fortune, than with a magical, mystical good luck amulet, such as the Indian Medicine Bag that Father Time features on his website at where there are many other cool items as well!
The Indian Medicine Bag may even help you meet the ideal woman for you! An awesome gal who has many of the attributes that you are looking for in a woman! You never know until you try, right? Besides, what have you got to lose?
For countless centuries, man has played sports, and has often made bets on the outcomes of the various games! During this same time period, people have used various “Lucky” stones, crystals, dice, coins, bones, feathers, and other items to bring them good luck and to attempt to attract the Goddess of Good Fortune to their side and help them to win!
You don’t have to tell anyone, but they will all be amazed when you begin winning huge amounts of money, whether in the market or at a casino! By the way, these types of good luck amulets, are always described (by law) as being for entertainment purposes only. Though we all know that they can sometimes have an amazing ability to turn your luck around and help you to start winning lots of money! For less than the cost of a few fancy coffee drinks, what have you got to lose?
When you do eventually get on a huge winning streak, please donate some of the money to Breast Cancer Research! Thanks!
My name is Father Time, and I have an awesome website where I feature many cool items, such as Hidden Camera Spy Pens with Built-in DVR, which you could really have loads of fun with! Then there are the magical Good Luck Charms!
Good Luck With All Of Your Investments, Games, Betting, and Finding That Woman of Your Dreams!
Many Blessings!
Father Time has been a published writer for over thirty two years and particularly focuses on motivational and self-help writing and speaking! He also has many years of experience and writes & marketing training and materials. His first love is poetry and greeting card verses! He has a fabulous new eBook out that features over 111 Ideas How YOU Can Make Money From Home With Your Very Own Home Based Business!
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The hairy cavemen look is out! Men’s hair removal saloons are in. Girls no longer drool over hairy chest and back. Haven’t you seen the popular ad on TV in which a guy removes his shirt so that his girlfriend can slather lotion over his back? But when his girlfriend looks at his hairy back, yuck, how she hates the sight!
Male body hair removal is becoming increasingly popular and many men are opting for more and more methods to get rid of unwanted hair. Many men suffer with excess body hair. Fortunately many options are available to improve their looks. At last, they have to find out, which method is the best for them to remove unwanted hair. Men should know pros and cons of each option, along with its expenses and time involved.
Permanent Laser Treatments
Laser hair removal is a good option for men’s hair removal as it can give a permanent solution. However, it is certainly not a cheap route to take, although over the long run it can save you a lot of hassle and ongoing cost. Laser treatment and procedures are now very popular for men’s hair removal, particularly for large expanses of skin such as hairy backs and hairy chests. Even pubic laser treatment for men is becoming popular!
This treatment can cause slight pain in which many people could endure. Basically, it uses laser to heat up dark areas (the dark color is caused by our skin pigment – melanin) in the hair follicles but not the areas in the skin. It would take 4-6 rounds of treatments in to have ‘permanent hairless’ effect. If you have thick chest hairs, your hair will be shaved by a technician before you proceed with the laser treatment. It is important that the surrounding skin be cooled with a gel, a spray or a cooling device throughout the procedure in to avoid irritation on your chest.
Shaving your chest has some advantages too. For instance, if you like showing your nice toned muscles, a shaved chest will help you. Hairy chests produce a shadow layer that can cover your muscle building results. Another benefit goes for swimmers, who find less water resistance when they have less body hair.
The treatment is quick too. Treatment sessions will run about 30 minutes depending on the type of hair and area size to be treated. Multiple sessions are needed. For back hair reduction about 8 sessions is the norm.
Laser hair removal for men is also very affordable. Many clinics offer payment plans and serve up packages at reduced prices. Though it is not cheap when you factor in the benefits it is well worth the cost.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is, along with laser, a permanent method of getting rid of unwanted hairs. In terms of men’s hair removal, electrolysis is most often used for small delicate jobs such as tidying up the eyebrows or removing a unibrow.
The best men’s hair removal technique is using a hair removal cream. The number rated cream on the market is from Revitol. Their cream is number one for a number of reasons. But the main reason why they have the number one cream is, Revitol provide a hair removal cream that works, it does what it says it’s going too better than any other cream. The price is competitive against all other creams, but the others don’t have the quality. Revitol have such confidence in their product that they back it with a money back guarantee.
O.k. Guys so you can’t figure out how to get a girl to like you in the way you had intended. Unfortunately your feminine side came screaming out and instead of being romantically involved, you are there with her watching lifetime doing your nails and letting her test her new “Hair-be-gone” on your legs. Hey don’t shoot the messanger you got yourself into this mess not me. So lets do a little house cleaning shall we? We’ll get you back on track no worries.
When a girl says she wants a nice, sensitive guy, don’t run out and get a “build-a-Bear” and sniffle during the chick flick you took her to. Technically speaking that may be what they want, it’s human nature and it sounds right, but when reality bares it’s head female instinct says she likes a guy who will take control and act like a man. Let’s look at what happens when….
What happens when.. you take a girl to an expensive dinner, her something on instinct and spoiling her at no expense? She thanks you for the lovely time and goes out with another guy. Dang!
What happens when.. you just can’t wait to call that beauty right after a great date cause you had such a great time (so you thought) and she’s coming off as awkward and rushing through the call just to get you off the phone. Am I right?
The Solution
Now Let’s change it up a bit for the sake of variety…
What Happens when.. you don’t call a girl and you’re habitually busy, and really could care less if you see her again or not? She’s calling you every few hours right?
What Happens when.. you go out for a quick brew and act like she’s your happy hour pal? She starts to feel an attraction because you are’nt being the “jump” “How High”? kinda guy. Do you get a feel for where I’m coming from?
Now Don’t go misunderstanding confidance to being a total jerk. To get a girl to like you and show some interest Don’t come off as shy or awkward it will turn her off. You will gain more ground if you lead the way without talking about it. Keep away from dull and lifeless and step up to fun and spontaneous.
Make her laugh, don’t give her too much info about yourself keep some mystery about you and let her wonder. Be interesting and please leave your game night talk at home. Show some direction with your goals and show you have a solid plan for your life, other than a 52″ Plasma and the “Boys” coming over on monday night to knock some down.
This is just some starting points for you to head in the right direction so let’s do a brief review and wrap up. Be a man, Keep Busy not too readily available, be obscure, have a plan, be calm, fun and confident (not arrogant) start off simple but purposeful and never, I repeat, never let her put some warm goop on your legs and tell you it isn’t going to hurt. Until the next time cowboy, peace and be well.
Manny F.Lives in Los Angeles is President of MyInfo4Profit an internet based company catering to a vass amount of valuable information from relationships to Internet Marketing. If you would like to continue your course and advance to a higher level of getting a girl to want you, visit
I have always been impressed with Japanese cuisine and culture. This article will discuss on its aspects and why Singaporeans find it so familiar, so much so that aspects of their culture seem to resonate with us. Firstly, they are rice eaters, just like us. In Singapore the staple diet of all the major cultures is rice. It is the centre of our dining experience and side dishes are just used to complement the rice and make it more delicious. Japanese rice is short grain and usually sticky.
They normally do not do anything to the rice because they perceived that it was important for the diner to experience the taste of the rice. A typical Japanese meal would consist of rice, miso soup and some side complementing dishes to complete the fair. They are also not heavy on seasoning and salt, because the Japanese believe that they take away the authentic taste of the food. As you can see, Japanese culture and cuisine interplay one another, and the whole concept behind it is simplicity and purity. They believe that too much seasoning, too much condiments and spices and cooking, came in the way of one’s ability to truly enjoy the natural taste of the food. This is why they usually enjoyed their food raw and with minimal cooking. However, their simplicity did not prevent them from using soya sauce, which plays a very important role in the Japanese kitchen.
Usually, the clearer type of soya cause is used to enhance the flavour and used as a seasoning to improve the dining experience. The Japanese also use soup stock with either seaweed or dried bonito. If you are looking for a traditional approach to eating Japanese food, then look out for restaurants that have the ‘Kaiseki’ eating experience, with is a formal way to present Japanese cuisine. It is slightly different that the Chinese style in the fact that the sequence of the services are decided by the cooking methods.
In Japan, these sort of restaurants are accompanied by music and performances by traditional Geisha or Japanese dancers. I doubt you can find the same thing in Singapore, but there are many Japanese restaurants in this country that offer a slightly tweaked version of this eating experience, adding customisability to the food and making it less formal. If you need to know what foods to try, just as the house chef or cook – Japanese cooks are usually extremely friendly and will recommend easy to eat foods for first timers. In addition to the tête-à-tête with cook, what is good for answer is the proximity sandwiched between where food is made and where it is eaten. The less the time amid food preparation and eating, the better is the taste.
Once you find your favourite dishes you can try them in other restaurants and you will know whether they are of good quality or not. This will be your introduction to Japanese cuisine and culture – right in the heart of Singapore.
Singapore is a beautiful country located in South East Asia. Besides being well known for its . You must also try out whenever you visit Singapore. Visit to taste authentic Chinese food in Singapore.Article Source:
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Whether you want to enjoy the highlights of Havana, relax in five star accommodation on the coast, or escape to a secluded part of the island, there’s bound to be a Cuba hotel that’s perfect for you. Here are four of the country’s very best.
The Best Cuba Hotels for 4 Different Cuban Holidays
There are few places that can offer such a diverse range of holiday experiences as Cuba. You can relax in some of the finest all inclusive beach resorts in the world, live it up in cosmopolitan and historical Havana, escape to one of the lesser known historical cities, or find your own deserted getaway in the mountains or on the coast. Whatever kind of holiday you want to have, choosing which one of the many Cuba hotels to stay in is always going to be a hard choice.
Here are some of the best Cuba hotels for four different kinds of holiday…
For five star luxury…
The very finest Cuba hotels are naturally located in Havana, the Cuban capital, and in this city you really are spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting your accommodation! For sheer grandeur and luxury, however, there is one hotel that stands out from the crowd – The Saratoga. This five star hotel was built in the 1930′s and is a classic example of neo-colonial architecture at its most stunning. With elegantly decorated rooms and spectacular panoramic views of the port and Havana’s Old Town, it’s hard to beat the Saratoga if you want the grandest accommodation on the island.
For a secluded getaway…
Sometimes you just want to get away from it all, and Cuba offers plenty of opportunities to find a peaceful retreat away from the crowds. Travel to the northern province of Pinar del Rio, and you’ll discover a part of Cuba that is a world away from the major cities and frenetic beach resorts. This part of the country is dedicated to tobacco growing for the famous Cuban cigars, and the beautiful countryside is ideal for hiking and horse riding. La Moka in Las Terrazas is the ideal base for a holiday in Pinar del Rio, a small hotel in a secluded location that is the perfect place to relax.
For a bustling beach holiday…
If you like a beach holiday that is filled with life, colour, and plenty of things to keep you occupied, Guardalavaca is the place to be. The biggest and most developed of Cuba’s beach resorts, Guardalavaca is also home to some superb hotels. For a place that is the life and soul of the party, the Playa Pesquero hotel is hard to beat. With facilities that include a swim up bar, six restaurants, numerous bars and the glorious Pesquero beach just a moment away, it is the biggest and perhaps the best hotel in Guardalavaca.
For a peaceful urban break…
Havana is often regarded as Cuba’s star attraction, but it is far from the only place to stay on the island. For somewhere a little less touristed but with just as much to see, head over to Trinidad. This town has the finest examples of colonial architecture on the island, and has even been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status for its remarkable buildings.
If you want to stay at the finest hotel in town, choose the Grand Hotel Trinidad. With its attentive service, high quality accommodation and ideal location in the heart of the Old Town, this five star boutique hotel truly stands out from the crowd, and is one of the best Cuba hotels.
Emma Lelliott is the general manager of Captivating Cuba, an independent specialist in luxury holidays to Cuba. With offices in Havana and the UK, Captivating Cuba can tailor-make your holiday to a choice of .
Smoking has become the affliction of a large magnitude of people and others seem to be joining the smoke bandwagon at an alarming rate. Smoking has become a very common sight with one out of every fifth person being a smoker. The trend of smoking has become very common among teenagers also. The problems one gets due to smoking are many, but they do not seem to encourage people to stop smoking or deter people for starting to smoke. The hazardous effects of smoking are many, but people do not seem to be paying heed; the tobacco companies seem to be the only one is reaping the rewards out of smoking.
Since tobacco was born, it has been a few companies dominate the tobacco industry. These companies control most of the production and distribution around the world. They are quick to adapt to their policies and tactics to conform to the regulations set by the government and cater to the needs of the ever-increasing number of smokers around the world.
Tobacco companies of the world
A few companies hold the tobacco production and control of tobacco; the three largest companies sell close to two thirds of the entire supply. The stagnation in demand has prompted them to explore new markets.
The government is in a predicament since the tobacco industry accounts for a vast amount of jobs, but it also has to protect the health of its citizens. The government has tried to cut down on smokers by increasing the taxes imposed on them. By increasing the taxes on tobacco products and leveling higher duties on the companies, the companies are forced to raise the prices, which indirectly reduce use; since higher priced goods will be used less often. There is not much the government can do since tobacco is not a banned product.
The large companies also diversify their business to keep abreast in the market. They use various ways the companies diversify.
By market segments: Products are usually divided into categories, from high priced premium cigarettes to low and middle class of cigarettes. Companies with big brand names sell premium high priced cigarettes but also expand in to lower class to protect them from susceptibility. A decline in of premium cigarettes will be ploughed back by the in the lower or middle brands of cigarettes.
By target group: Every cigarette has its target group. By creating a new target group, the company can raise its overall market share. Thus the need to branch out into women cigarettes and target young people.
This targeting of women and youngsters has been seen in bad light. The tobacco industry has long targeted young people with its advertising and promotional campaigns. One of the most memorable, “Joe Camel” campaign initiated by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, helped generate public outrage against tobacco company efforts to reach young audiences and it is no longer used. The reason is obvious, most people start smoking at an early age. Getting a hold on a new segment will increase its share in the market.
Women are also a segment that the industries try to win over. Cigarettes for women are put forward as a symbol of liberation and some even shown in the light of slimming products. Manufacturers produce (long, slim) cigarettes especially for women. Perfumed or scented cigarettes with exotic flavors are targeted at women. Cigarettes usually have the word “slim” or “lights” to attract women consumers. Minorities are also a target for the tobacco industry.
Diversification by tobacco products: cigarettes companies also try to branch out into other tobacco products. For example, Imperial tobacco has decided to branch out into the roll your own segment; it dominates both the tobacco and the paper for this segment.
Diversification by non-tobacco products: food seems to be the favorite for companies seeking to diversify. R.J. Reynolds bought Nabisco (which, in turn, was later acquired by Kraft) owned by Philip Morris. Japan Tobacco derives a (small) part of its from food. Logistics and wholesaling are another favorite
Austria Tabak, wholesaling of tobacco and other products (and the operation of vending machines) makes up a large share of turnover. Over 20 per cent of Altadis’ earnings originate in its logistics division. Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni owns the largest wholesaler of consumer goods in Denmark. BAT tried financial services (but, since 1998, is a pure tobacco company).
Diversification into food and other activities makes the tobacco companies less dependent on (slow-growing) of tobacco products. However, the profit margins in these industry are usually well below those attained in tobacco processing. Producing and marketing cigarettes remain the more lucrative activity.
Incase of diversification by geographical market, OECD-based tobacco companies are keen to reduce their dependence on their stagnant home markets and establish a presence in markets where growth is above average. After having started business in many markets in Latin
America, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Central Asian republics in the 1990s, their center of attention is shifting to the Far East. All the major tobacco companies now have a presence in Poland, Russia and the Central Asian republics. Austria Tabak, which gained a presence in
Estonia when it acquired the cigarette activities of Swedish Match also has a 67 per cent market share in Guinea. The company was considering entering Asian markets when it was taken over by Gallaher in June 2001. Through this take-over and the acquisition in 2000 of Liggett-Ducat, the Moscow cigarette maker, Gallaher greatly reduced its dependence on the UK market. Similarly, Japan Tobacco became a world player when it acquired the international activities of R.J. Reynolds. Thanks to a relentless internationalization drive, Germany’s Reemtsma now sells less than one-third of its total in its home market (compared to over 60 per cent in 1991) (see also figure 6). It is now on the go in several Central and Eastern European countries and, in 1999, it acquired Cambodia’s Paradise Tobacco Company.
The government.
A predicament is generally faced by the Governments all across the world. On the one hand, tobacco-growing and processing can makes a large contribution to employment, tax revenue and foreign exchange receipts. In many developing and formerly centrally planned economies, the tobacco companies have made sizeable and most welcome investments when other investors were disinclined to do so. On the other hand, governments have the responsibility to protect the population’s health. Smoking is harmful to health and treating people for smoking-related illnesses is expensive. This can lead to heated debates within the same government as each sector defends the interests it believes it should represent.
The economic importance of tobacco growing and processing differs from country to country. At the national level, cigarette ( and import) tax can be a main source of government revenue. In Russia, cigarette tax revenue contributes around 8 per cent to the financing of the state budget.
When the government owns the industry, it receives profits in addition to tax. That is why, in so many countries, State monopolies continue to control cigarette trade and production. In China, proceeds from state-owned CNTC amounted to the equivalent of US$11,000 million in 1999. CNTC has been the Chinese State’s top revenue generator for years. Japan Tobacco earned more than US$400 million for the Japanese State in the fiscal year ending March 2000. The monopolies can also play a social function. In Italy, several of the state monopoly’s factories are to be found in areas of high unemployment.
Then there are balance of payments issues to mull over, many low-income countries rely on the export of cash crops such as tobacco to pay for the service of their foreign debt.
Tobacco exports made up close to 10 per cent of Cuba’s exports in 1997-98. In the case of
Tanzania it was 15 per cent, In Zimbabwe over 25 per cent and in Malawi tobacco exports made up two-thirds of commodity exports.
Citizens smoke. But, if they smoke domestically produced cigarettes, using homegrown tobacco or use imported cigarettes and tobaccos can make a large difference when foreign exchange is scarce. That explains why so many countries try to restrict the imports of cigarettes and encourage domestic producers to use local tobaccos, for example, by providing a favorable tax treatment to companies that use a minimum percentage of homegrown tobaccos. The cigarette companies have also been a key source of investment in the formerly centrally planned countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. When others were disinclined to invest, those companies saw the possibilities offered by a blend of pent-up consumer demand, outdated production facilities and the association with independence and “western style” living that so appealed to the people in these countries after many years of central planning and little consumer choice. After having lobbied successfully for the reduction of restrictions of Asian markets such as Japan and the Republic of Korea, the large tobacco companies are eagerly waiting for the opening up of the other economies (notably China) that continue to restrict imports from and/or investments by foreign tobacco companies.
Tobacco growing, processing and exports can thus make a significant involvement to national employment and national income. Yet, however important tobacco growing and processing may be at the national level, its full economic and social significance is best grasped at the micro or regional level. In some regions, tobacco is grown side by side with the crop, which is the main source of income; its contribution to overall income is modest. However, in many others, tobacco is a main source of income and employment.
Tobacco growing and tobacco processing may bring substantial economic and social benefits, but the treatment of smoking-related illness is costly. Cigarette smoking causes cancer. It is addictive. The WHO estimates that tobacco products cause around 3 million deaths per year. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of preventable mortality in developed countries. In the mid-1990s, about 25 per cent of all male deaths in developed countries were due to smoking. Among men aged 35-69 years, more than one-third of all deaths were caused by smoking. The costs of treating all these people are clearly enormous (WHO, 1997).
So far, smoking has not had the same impact on mortality among women and among people from developing countries. There is an approximate 30-40 year time lag between the onset of persistent smoking and deaths from smoking. The effects of the greater incidence of smoking between these two groups will thus be felt with a lag, but it seems reasonable to believe that its impact on them will not differ fundamentally from that on developed country males.
It may be argued that smokers willingly take a certain health risk when enjoying their smoke. They like the taste and all the other things that they associate with smoking. Nevertheless, this does not apply to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or “second-hand smoke”.
Smoke gets in your eyes your clothes. Moreover, it gets in your lungs. Non-smokers cannot escape from smoke in badly ventilated areas. To be exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke can be a nuisance in addition to being a health risk for non-smokers.
Governments and conflicting pressures: How do they get by?
In practice, governments have opted for several strategies (which are often followed simultaneously). A recent strategy consists of seeking compensation for the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses. It has been followed with success in the United States, as we saw in section 3.4. Governments also set rules regarding the maximum content of hazardous substances in cigarettes. Most of all, however, governments try to discourage demand for what is, as the industry does not tire of telling us, essentially a legal product.
This is done in a variety of ways, with some governments applying particular vigor and others taking a more relaxed approach. Overall, however, the trend is clear: governments’ rules on smoking are becoming ever more restrictive. The use of tobacco products is being discouraged in several ways.
Limitation of the space where smoking is allowed.
This is done above all to protect non-smokers from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. Smoking is being prohibited in public places (particularly health care and educational facilities) and in mass transport. Legislation requires restaurants to reserve space for non-smokers.
Limitation by age group
It is prohibited to sell tobacco products to people under a certain age.
Limitations on points of .
The use of vending machines is being restricted because these cannot discriminate against to young people.
Health warnings stating that tobacco is harmful to health have become obligatory.
The warnings must be placed on packets and in ads, with the authorities prescribing the text and the minimum space allotted to the warning in the ad or on the pack. Governments sponsor education and public information programs on smoking and health.
Advertising bans. Restrictions concern the location of ads, the media used (no billboards, no ads in the printed media or in cinemas), the images presented (no young people, no cigarette packets), and the time when broadcasting is allowed (not during hours when children watch television).
The manufacturers are unhappy with these restrictions, and in particular with the ban on advertising. In their view, it is not proved that such a ban discourages demand for cigarettes (as its proponents claim). They are concerned about its effect on the value of their prime asset, the brand name.
Worldwide, the tobacco-processing industry employs hundreds of thousands of people. However, due to a combination of slow demand growth, consolidation, and higher productivity, this number is unlikely to increase by much in the near future. Fewer people are needed per unit of production. The industry is becoming less intensive in the use of labor. Tobacco growing, in contrast, gives work to millions of people. It continues to be a highly labour-intensive activity. The scope for productivity increases in tobacco growing would appear to be more limited than those in tobacco processing.
Over a million people are employed in the world tobacco industry
However, of this number a high percentage is employed in just three countries: China, India and Indonesia. The large number employed in China comes as no surprise in view of the large number of cigarettes (one-third of the world total) produced there. Still, the productivity gap with the United States is striking. China produces roughly three times as many cigarettes as the US, but it needs over nine times as many people to produce them. In the other two countries, the scope for productivity improvements would appear to be even higher.
THE SCENARIO TODAY.
The situation concerning smoking are scary, if global trends continue as they are doing today by 2030 more than 8 million people will die each year from tobacco related causes-80% in the developing regions of the World. In India per example where 120 million smoke 1 in 5 men will die for smoking. Smoking is on the decline in developed nations but is on a large-scale rise in developing or underdeveloped nations. The statistics are frightening, every eight seconds someone dies from smoking; about 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily. There are 1.1 billion smokers in the world today, and if things continue as they have, that number is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by the year 2025.
Smoking and use of tobacco products is on a decline in most developed countries. However, it is on a rampant increase in other developing countries.
In the US, there has been a decrease in the number of smokers. This can be attributed to the growing awareness of the damage smoking causes to the health of the individual. There is however a sad side to the story, smoking has increased to a drastic level in other countries and the figures are staggering.
China is home to 300 million smokers who consume upwards of 1.7 trillion cigarettes a year, or 3 million cigarettes a minute. As many as 100 million Chinese men presently under the age of 30 will die from tobacco use. There are approximately 120 million smokers in India today, and it is estimated that in the year 2010 alone, there will be close to one million tobacco-related deaths among men and women age 30 to 69 in India. Worldwide, tobacco use will kill more than 175 million people between now and the year 2030. Current tobacco-related health care costs in the United States total US $81 billion annually. Germany spends an average of US $7 billion, and Australia, US $1 billion each year on health care directly related to tobacco use. Health care costs associated with secondhand smoke total US $5 billion a year in the U.S. It is estimated that as many as 500 million people alive today will be killed by tobacco use. The statistics are chilling.
One reason for the sudden spurt in the numbers in these countries may be due to the arrival of tobacco companies. The lax stand of the governments in these countries makes it a good bet to start business. The anti smoking lobbies in these countries have not been able to combat the increase. Increased awareness has made it hard for tobacco companies to work in many countries and so the tobacco companies have shifted their sights to greener pastures.
These countries have a very small anti smoking lobby and the government restrictions o them are not so tough and the government is dependent on the revenues it earns from them. Setting up business in these countries has resulted in increased used of tobacco products.
The anti smoking lobby has been very effective in curtailing the spread and increase of smoking around the world.
Advertising related to tobacco has is banned in most countries. Warnings of the harmful effects of the product have to be printed on the packet. This statutory warning is mandatory in most countries. The WHO in its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which came into effect on 27 February 2005 has specified that all 168 countries should ban advertisements unless their constitutions forbade them to do so.
Today, we are aware of the hazards of smoking. Even though the people are aware of the harmful effects of smoking they rarely seem to pay heed. Everyone knows that smoking causes cancer, heart diseases and can shorten the life span of an individual. It is a highly addictive habit and smokers are at a risk of losing ten years of their life.
With so many smokers around the world, tobacco companies are the only ones gaining form the increase.
Smoking Joey-Heavy Smoker –
If you are smoking-try to quit- but in the meantime-smoke for less.
The study of the economy of Cuba can be divided into four phases. The first phase consists of the occupation of the island by the Spanish, which led to the extinction of the aboriginals and the bringing of African slaves to work on the sugar plantations. At this point of time, Cuba provided for the highly profitable business of sugar cultivation and its exports. Sugar industry was the crux of Cuba’s economy and Cuba rose to become one of the largest producers of sugar in the world.
The second phase pertains to the years following the wars of independence against the Spanish and also the invasion of Cuba by the US. It is marked by the sweeping powers of intervention obtained by the US in 1902, with the Cuban economy being controlled by the growing investment of the US citizens in the sugar plantations of Cuba. Now, again, money and profits from the sugar plantation, sugar refineries and subsidiary sugar products such as rum went to the many American investors and a few Cuban elite. The other major industries also included tourism, tobacco, transportation, mining and the communication industry.
The third phase begins with the Cuban revolution and the beginning of Fidel Castro’s rule in the year 1959. All plantations that were more than 400 hectares became state owned and all industries including the petroleum and the telephones became nationalized. This lead to the US trade embargo towards Cuba. Cuba lost its traditional international market. However, Cuba found a trade and political ally in the USSR when the Cuban-sugar for Russian-oil package worked well. Cuba reoriented itself to the Russian and pro-Russian market and did over 80% of its international trade with them. The next 30 years saw tremendous improvement in health care, education and social welfare. Cuba boasts of a 97% literacy rate and the life expectancy increased to 76%. There was an egalitarian distribution of income and Cuba’s income inequality index became the lowest in the world.
All was well until 1989 when it became clear to Cuba that sooner or later Cuba would have to learn to do without any subsidies or trade relations with the USSR and the eastern European countries. The fourth phase begins here with the government dubbing it as the ‘Special Period in Peacetime’. The economic reforms include:
(i) the opening and gearing up of tourism as an industry
(ii) diversification of the agricultural sector by producing fruits and vegetables and rice along with live stock for local consumption that include the visiting tourists.
(iii) production of more of citrus food and less of sugar
(iv) focusing on that sector of fisheries which sent its fleets to nearby seas and exporting spiny lobsters to Japan
(v) State-owned lands have been converted to agricultural cooperatives that are managed to a certain degree by the workers. Retail outlets at a small scale have been allowed for the food market. In the field of food production, allowing the of excess production (which is above the state-fixed production quota) in the free market has brought down black markets, in addition to enhancing production
(vi) Foreign investments in various industries such as tourism, mining, telecommunication, construction and manufacturing sectors have been allowed
(vii) Self employment has been legalized for around 150 occupations.
Investment into biotechnology and pharmaceuticals during the third phase reaped returns when products of this industry were available for export now at the fourth phase.
The other Cuban industries include cement, steel, agricultural machinery and construction.
Fisheries, nickel and ore production, growing agricultural products such as fruits, tobacco are some areas that have shown growth in the export sector. Cuba now exports to European countries (50%), Canada and Latin America (20%), and Asia (20%).
Spain, France, and United Kingdom have invested in the tobacco and cigar production. Spain and Canada have invested in the exploration of oil off the shores of Cuba. Mexico, Canada, Australia, South-Africa, Netherlands, Brazil, and Chile are the other major countries that have invested in the various industries of Cuba.
Cuba has entered into an agreement with Venezuela whereby thousands of Cubans who are doctors, teachers and sports trainers, and engineers would move in to Venezuela to assist their development program in return for 53,000 barrels of oil per day being shipped to Cuba for the next five years.
“Energy revolution” where apart form changing the entire system of power generation and distribution, energy conservation is also aimed at, has been in vogue in Cuba for the last two years. The quality of life of the Cubans are improving with the volunteers of the government replacing on a door-to-door campaign, the existing electric stoves and lights with the ones that are more efficient and less energy consuming. Energy efficient refrigerators and television sets have been distributed and would be installed in all the thousands of housing units that the government is building. Energy efficient buses from China would soon be available for the Cuban public transport. It is just a matter of some time when power generation would take place at hundreds of units that are well synchronized, thus avoiding wastage of power while distributing it through very long distances. Generation of natural gas while exploring for oil at oil rigs is also considered.
Cuba has also legalized the US dollars. Further, the Venezuelan inputs for domestic oil production and upgradation of existing power stations have raised the level of optimism. Cuba is also hoping to find oil off its shores. Apart from the sugar industry and its related products, there are various industries such as tourism (also called the lung of the Cuban economy), fisheries, nickel and ore production, production of tobacco, Cuban cigar, citrus fruits, pharmaceuticals, coffee, besides basic manufacturing industries which have earned Cuba foreign exchange. Cuba has learned to manage its post-USSR economic condition and is steering towards a more prosperous economy.
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