Thomas A. Edison Quotes
It [cigarette smoking] has a violent action on the nerve centers, producing degeneration of the cells of the brain, which is quite rapid among boys. Unlike most narcotics this degeneration is permanent and uncontrollable. I employ no person who smokes Cigarettes.
Thomas A. Edison, 1847-1931, Inventor, Letter to Henry Ford, 1914
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Ford was among the early attackers of the cigarette. He announced that he would refuse to employ smokers {600552}.
The deaths and health problems caused by smoking exist the world over. In Islam the religion is overriding into all facets of society and life. Whereas this lack of separation of church and state presents many difficulties, this quotation demonstrates one positive aspect if the ability of Islam to improve the quality of life. Smoking cessation and avoidance becomes a religious obligation—not just a sensible thing to do to preserve health.
In Japan it was illegal to manufacture and sell cigarettes except for the government which maintains the cigarette monopoly and reaps $18 billion annually as a result. This label was all the government could bring itself to use. Japanese health authorities saw it as a type of victory since prior to this there was no warning whatsoever.
The World Health Organization, a component of the United Nations, advocated national restrictive legislation to control and eliminate smoking. The smoking addict, hooked on nicotine was caught between public health efforts to regulate and eliminate tobacco and the efforts to treat the addicts and respect the individual’s right to freedom of choice.
What is extremely ironic is that Heriot and the English thought tobacco was very healthy for the user. Between this error and the addictive properties of tobacco, more people have been killed by tobacco than any other substance on earth. Heriot also discovered the potato, and was the first man to introduce it to England. Prior to that, this staple of the European diet was unknown in Europe.
TV commercial made just before his death—and broadcast after his death—from lung cancer caused by smoking.
The President smoked cigars but never in public:
- Born: February 11, 1847
- Died: October 18, 1931
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Inventor, Businessman
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman who has been described as America's greatest inventor. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.
