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Ethical issues with tobacco companies
Ethical issues with tobacco companies
Tobacco industry and ethics of advertising
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Smokers Want to Sue Many smokers today believe that they have the right to sue tobacco companies for the illnesses that they have due to the tobacco products. I believe that the consumer of the products should not be able to sue the tobacco companies, because the consumer knew what they were getting themselves into. All companies sell their products strictly to make money. A tobacco company sells tobacco for the same reason. No companies force the consumer to purchase the product. Tobacco companies do not make force people to purchase tobacco. The tobacco company may have a guilty conscience knowing that the product that they sell has led to many illness related fatalities, but once again the company did not for the product on the consumers. The tobacco company is not at fault for any of the illnesses, because the company did not make anyone go into the store, purchase the tobacco, and make the person use it. America is a free Nation. A nation of choice, but many Americans make choices that put their bodies at risk every day. This choice to use tobacco is one made daily by the user not by the producer. …show more content…
The consumer is the person who decided to spend their own money on a tobacco product, which they knew would impact their health. There are people all around the Nation that travel to schools just to better educate our young students about the problems that tobacco can cause. The consumers of tobacco may not be as well educated as they could be, but usually they have enough knowledge to know that tobacco can harm them. These consumers today are much more educated about the impact of tobacco, because there are many advertisements, such as commercials, that inform the viewer of the dangers of tobacco. The commercials use a scare tactic by showing a monster that is said to be not as dangerous as a cigarette, but is still very scary. Some older generations are at a disadvantage, because they did not have these
In conclusion, ethics has no place in the tobacco business and the rights and obligations that usually would apply for any other company would not apply to a tobacco company as the right to trade secrecy, information privacy or the right to get a customer to buy its products is nullified by the fact the tobacco industry itself is absolutely built to sell products that are scientifically proven to be carcinogenic and harmful to its users.
A consumer is a person who is seeking for products and services for personal, domestic and household use or consumption only.
Tobacco companies have relied on the media to lure children. They quickly realized that ‘the company that dominates is that which most effectively targets young”(Imperial Tobacco document.) To counteract the idea of disease and other negative aspects of tobacco, the industry used imagery in the media such as natural settings and healthy actors doing active things. This helps them to insinuate that smoking leads to success, romance, sophistication and other advancements in their lifestyle, which was easily imprinted in the minds of children. A document found among Imperial tobacco files described their priority: “…having our imagery reach those non-reading young people who frequent malls should be our chief goal.”(1.170) Unaware of how important the under 18 market was to the industry, the government could only attempt to lengthen the distance between schools and billboards because they’re ineffective attempts were ignored by the large corporations. With many billboards concentrated in small areas it put the idea in children’s minds that smoking was socially acceptable and that t...
“Killing Them Softly,” an essay by Jacob Sullum, addresses the issue of Senator Judd Gregg’s bill to give the Food and Drug Administration control over tobacco products. This bill would allow the FDA to make such decisions as halting tobacco companies’ marketing of safer tobacco products and reducing the nicotine content in cigarettes. Sullum argues that by giving the FDA the power to make such decisions, individual consumers would be disadvantaged and lives could possibly be lost instead of saved. If given control of such decisions, the FDA would not allow the introduction of safer tobacco products as they feel this will increase the number of smokers. They feel more people will begin using these products that are advertised as less harmful substances, whereas Sullum feels it would be better for people to change their habits to these “safer alternatives.” Sullum fails to consider benefits of relinquishing control to the FDA, however. By considering some of the positive results, Sullum might develop a different opinion and support the bill as he should.
Smokers all over the United States in recent years have brought class-action suits against the tobacco companies. Plaintiffs argue that the tobacco companies had knowledge of the health risks that could be associated with smoking, but they chose to withhold this information from the public. Since they chose to withhold this information the companies should be responsible for the cost of their health problems. Smokers have been rather successful in this endeavor especially since it has been a scientifically proven fact that smoking causes lung cancer. In Florida alone smokers and their families were awarded 200 billion dollars (Thomas ).
While todays major tobacco producers deny that they market to the youth. However, we still see them subliminally targeting children through magazine advertisements, store posters, and Internet ads. In addition, they continue to use product placement strategies in movies that our young children will be watching, product placement?... ... middle of paper ...
Some actions should be taken on tobacco products because the risk of getting cancer is high. People vape everywhere in today’s society, blowing a massive amount of smoke that lingers in the air and could cause people nearby to cough or even children near it to cough. There needs to be a policy to ban cigarettes, it kills the smoker, in addition, it could kill the person exposed to the smoke from cigarettes. “The cigarette is also a defective product, meaning not just dangerous but unreasonably dangerous, killing half its long-term users” (Proctor). Cigarettes are not healthy in any way making it a defective product, it mainly kills the smoker rather than helping them.
The tobacco industry consists of many competitors trying to satisfy a specific customer need. Companies such as Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Brown and Williamson, and Lorillard hold almost the entire market share in the tobacco industry. While each company has different advertising and marketing techniques, they all target the same customer group. Tobacco companies try their best to generate interest in their particular brand or brands. Companies market a number of attributes that usually include, but are not limited to: taste, flavor, strength, size and image in order to distinguish themselves from competitors (Business Week 179, November 29, 1999). However, all tobacco companies are satisfying the same needs. Many long-time smokers are addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. They smoke because the nicotine is needed to help them feel normal (Focus group). Many addicts go through withdraw without nicotine. All tobacco companies have nicotine in their cigarettes, which fulfills the need of long-time smokers. Other smokers depend on cigarettes in social settings. Many smoke to look sophisticated and mature. Tobacco companies make many kinds of cigarettes that target different groups. Social smokers may perceive certain brands as more sophisticated, and therefore they shy away from other lesser-known brands. For example, a person who smoked generic cigarettes at the bar may be perceived as uncultured. On the other hand, the smoker with the Marlboro Lights may be more socially accepted because they have a brand name product (Focus group). Many types of cigarettes cater to the many markets of smokers who want to portray a certain image in social settings. Tobacco companies do not create the need to smoke, but try to generate interest in their particular brand (Hays, New York Times, November 24, 1999). Overall, the tobacco companies satisfy consumer demand for the millions of adult Americans who choose to use tobacco by providing differentiated products to different target markets of smokers.
I think cigarettes and Prescription drugs are dangerous to be marketed the way they are. Cigarettes in other countries show images of what happens to lungs, teeth, tongue and face when a person smokes cigarettes. Currently cigarettes in the U.S still have reinforcing images and trigger words to market cigarettes. Prescription drugs are also blasted on t.v commercials showing their benefit but covering their symptoms by using tiny disclaimer letters at the bottom including stating symptoms really fast at the end of the thirty second commercial. It makes a difference that these products are legal because they are able to market reach customers who might have never been reached before. I think it would be right to single them out because they
... smokers and the rights of nonsmokers is quite complicated and will more than likely always be an issue in our society. It will always be an issue because the tobacco industry, an industry full of hedonistic executives, generates too much profit to be going anywhere anytime soon. A lot of smokers will continue to smoke, despite the warnings of health risks, while nonsmokers continue to express their right to clean air, and businesses will continue to face and make decisions to accommodate smokers and nonsmokers in an effort to not lose revenue. As for me and my opinion, I think that the rights of nonsmokers should come first, hands down. I think that having a smoke free environment that eliminates the potential, devastating consequences of tobacco smoke would be for the greater good of society and surpasses any temporary, fleshly effect that nicotine gives.
The tobacco industry is important to the economy. In 1991, worldwide tobacco sales exceeded $59.8 billion and in 1992 the industry was rated as one of the top one hundred advertisers (Pechmann and Ratneshwar, 1994). However, there are high prices to pay - socially, economically, and personally - as a result of this industry. Annual mortality figures indicate that cigarette smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. An estimated 390,000 people die each year of smoke related illnesses, which is greater than the combined mortality for cocaine, crack, AIDS, homicide, suicide, and alcohol abuse (Botvin, G., Baker, Botvin, E., Dusenbury, Cardwell, and Diaz, 1993).
Smoking is one of the leading killers in North America and innocent. people shouldn't die because of it. For years people have been smoking. in public thinking, "It's my body, I can do whatever I want to do." now that it has been proven that smoking not only harms the smoker.
One way that the tobacco industry can be more ethical is changing their advertising strategy. I believe that today’s advertising strategy is very misleading about cigarettes. Examples of this unethical advertising is in Argentina, here 20 percent of television advertising is spent on smoking commercials, as well as in countries in and around Africa there are billboards that depict a man in a business suit stepping out of a black Mercedes as a chauffeur holds the door. This displays that cigarettes make people classy and sophisticated, making cigarettes look not only harmless but stylish. Another good example of unethical depiction on cigarettes is in Nigeria; here they promote a cigarette for graduates, with a picture of a university and a student in a cap and gown. As if this wasn’t a misleading visual they add a slogan that says, "A very important cigarette for very important people." These ads and slogan are ...
The sale of cigarettes and tobacco is a multi-billion dollar industry, but is it truly worth all the problems that stem from their use. Health care costs are extremely high due to all the health problems associated with cigarettes and tobacco. Even though research has proven time and time again the harmful effects of cigarettes, and the rising cost of health care caused by cigarettes our government will not take a stand and stop all manufacturing of the horrible toxins.
who.int - a. Almost 80% of the worlds smokers are middle class to lower class. This statistic that was taken from the World Health Organization, W.H.O., shows that around the globe it is the less educated making these choices. Big brands like Marlboro spend 70% of their profits on advertisements in 3rd world countries to try and get the people who do not know the consequences of smoking. In total tobacco companies spend over ten billion dollars on advertisements world wide. The advertisements that are going on on the covers are cartoon animals and images that show if you smoke you will be free.