Lifeand health insurance companies have surprised many with the news that some may be holding millions in tobacco stock.This is quitethe contradiction to the belief that these companies don't condone smoking, seeing as premiums can skyrocket for both types of insurance based on knowledge of an insured individual being a smoker.
Well contrary to popular belief, Harvard doctors uncovered this little known secret that revealed that insurance companies in both the United States and overseasown as much as $4.5 billion in tobacco stocks. The specifics of the report can be found in the New England Medical Journal.
Since these tobacco companies are participating in the sale of tobacco products, the Harvard doctors believe that the likelihood of them participating in anti-tobacco coalitions is slim. They also will likely not participate in any anti-tobacco legislation. There's obviously too much money to be made to interfere with the sale of these life-threatening products.
While we were thinking that insurance companies were raising our premiums to try to discourage us from the act - in addition to the fact that as smokers we might not live as long, meaningthey wouldn't obtain as many premium payments (hey, we're not totally blind) - we didn't think that they we actually profiting off of the very act they supposedlyfrowned upon. These days, it's hard to know what side anyone's on. So the best we can do is continue to take care of our own best interests. A sad revelation, indeed.
