Making a killing south of the border: transnational cigarette companies in Mexico and Guatemala.

Cigarette smoking is the most unnecessary of modern epidemics in the world today, according to the World Health Organization. In response to declining sales at home, multinational cigarette companies are increasingly targeting allegedly developing countries with their deadly products, often with the strong support of the U.S. government. While Asian countries have been most heavily targeted in recent years, Latin American countries have not been overlooked. This paper discusses macro-level and micro-level implications of the tobacco companies' promotions, based on data gathered in Mexico and Guatemala during 1990. Recommendations for combating the corporations' efforts are also discussed.