The doctor who beat big tobacco - Divestment, investment, corporate social responsibility and pensions

[EMJ]

"When Dr Bronwyn King discovered her pension fund was investing in the cigarette companies that were killing her cancer patients, she was staggered. And she knew she had to act"

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/a ... ig-tobacco

[Ego]

+1

The reason more institutions are paying attention.

“Once, lung cancer meant a quick death. As treatment has improved and lives have been prolonged, it has gone from being a lethal to a chronic illness, and costs are exploding. It’s a simple equation – the social, medical and taxation consequences of smoking have grown considerably worse.”

[Bismarck]

I guess if I don't feel that tobacco companies are misleading their customers of the risks (was the case years ago but not now), why would I have a problem investing in them?

[Ego]

There are plenty of ways to make money that don't involve harming others. Why make money harming others if you don't have to?

[EMJ]

I guess if I don't feel that tobacco companies are misleading their customers of the risks (was the case years ago but not now), why would I have a problem investing in them?

"Globally it’s estimated that 80-100,000 children start smoking every day – so much for the notion of smoking being based on mature, fully-informed choice. What’s more, according to the International Labour Organisation, up to 60% of the 33 million engaged in tobacco farming worldwide are under 16. To those who challenged that tobacco stocks were historically good performers, King had a brisk rejoinder: “If a business can live with six million deaths and externalising €2tn in health costs a year while employing mainly children, then it probably won’t find it difficult making money. All it has to do is adjust its moral compass.” "

[wood]

My coworker says he was born addicted to nicotine.

[Bismarck]

@emj the 80-100k is a tragedy, but the article offers no proof that tobacco companies are currently marketing directly to children or discussion what their culpability is beyond providing a good with widely known risks. I am simply uneducated on this beyond knowing that it was an issue in the US in the past.

Related to the farming statistic, I don't understand why this is necessarily a bad thing. In the United States we allow children as young as 12 to work on family farms.

My point is, if a very large fraction of the 6 million deaths know the risks and still choose to make that decision, I am okay with it. Externalities related to individual decisions in our healthcare system is another discussion.

[Ego]

My point is, if a very large fraction of the 6 million deaths know the risks and still choose to make that decision, I am okay with it. Externalities related to individual decisions in our healthcare system is another discussion.

If it were crack or meth would you feel the same? If not, why not?

[Spartan_Warrior]

There are plenty of ways to make money that don't involve harming others.

Like what?

If it were crack or meth would you feel the same?

Yup.

From the article:

She had already persuaded 35 Australian superannuation funds... to shun tobacco... But she passed up a celebratory glass of wine.

Irony at its finest.