British American Tobacco Australia boss David Crow tells his children not to smoke
By Stephen Johnson
From: AAP
May 20, 2011 12:05PM
*Big tobacco boss tells his kids not to smoke
*CEO fights against green cigarette packages
*"No ethical qualms" about selling cigarettes
THE Big Tobacco boss who threatened to flood Australia with cheap cigarettes if the Government doesn't drop its plans to remove branding from packets has warned his kids not to smoke
British American Tobacco Australia chief David Crow revealed this week that he told his children to stay away from cigarettes because they are unhealthy.
"I've got a 13-year-old, an 11-year-old and a seven-year-old and if they smoke I tell them absolutely, categorically, 'Do not smoke'," he said.
"It's bad for you. It says it on the pack."
Asked if he had any ethical qualms about the business he was in, Mr Crow said:
"In terms of working at a company in a legal business that's really well run?
Not at all !"
However, Mr Crow also defended its right to spruik what is still a legal product.
Mr Crow, who is an an occasional social smoker, claimed Labor's policy, aimed at discouraging smoking, would in fact lead to an increase in smoking rates, particularly amongst children, because of follow-on price cuts.
He argued it would be easier for criminal syndicates operating in China, Indonesia and the Middle East to duplicate and flood the local market, and big tobacco would respond by slashing prices to protect its share.
The argument ignores the power Health Minister Nicola Roxon has to reduce the impact of price cuts by jacking up the tobacco excise, at least on legal products.
Ms Roxon controversially exercised the same power in 2008 when she raised taxes on pre-mixed alcoholic drinks.
Quit executive director Fiona Sharkie has called on the Government to use its excise powers if big tobacco engages in a price war.
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