We would like to thank you all, who gave attention to the Philip Morris/A.D.Little Int.study on the Public Finance Balance of Smoking in the Czech Republic and condemned it as amoral and unethical for its main conclusions "…that the negative financial effects of smoking (such as increased health care costs) are more than offset by positive effects (such as excise tax and VAT collected on tobacco products)" and that smoking is good for the Czech economy thanks, in part, to the "health-care cost savings due to early mortality."

If you would like to express again you opinion on this "study" and send it to Czech political leaders, we would be very thankful to you. Your message will help not only the Czech tobacco control advocates but also all colleagues in neighbouring countries.

Thanking you in advance for your help
For the Czech Committee EMASH
Jiri Kozak and Eva Kralikova

Here are addresses – e-mail and fax – of the politicians regarding this item:

Zdenek Skromach
Head of the Committee on Social Policy and Healthcare
of the Czech Parliament
e-mail: z.skromach@worldonline.cz

Vladimir Spidla
Vicechairman of the Czech Government
Minister of Social Affairs
e-mail: spidla@psp.cz

Czech Government Office,
E. Benes Embankment 4,
Prague 1
Fax: +420 2 24 81 02 31

Bohumil Fiser,
Minister of Health
Palacky Sq 4,
Prague 2
Fax: +420 2 245 97 26 61

Ivan Langer,
Vicechairman of the Czech Parliament,
e-mail: langer@psp.cz

Medical doctors in the Parliament:

Please bcc copies to: <jtkozak@razdva.cz>, <eva.kralikova@1lf.cuni.cz>
and <awhite@essential.org>