FREE ESSAY ON TOBACCO INDUSTRY

TOBACCO INDUSTRY

Tobacco has been used for enjoyment for thousands of years. Native Americans 
are believed to be the first to use tobacco. Over the years the use of tobacco has become

so widespread that is can be found in nearly every country. The tobacco industries have 
provided a very harmful product to the public. The US Government should regulate the 
tobacco industry because tobacco is hazardous to the American public and because they 
have conducted their business practices in an unethical and immoral fashion.
The tobacco industries argue that they have their legal rights and they have only 
been providing a product enjoyed by millions of Americans for years. Christopher 
Proctor, of British American Tobacco, stated that, "Human beings have used tobacco for 
thousands of years. Today with near-universal awareness of the health risks, a billion 
adults choose to smoke" ("Phillip" 2). People have used tobacco for so long, and they 
continue to use it even though they are aware of the health risks. They should be allowed

to continue to produce the product since nearly everybody who uses it is aware of the 
dangers. Also, the tobacco industry helps to save the government money. "[T]he industry 
has prepared to argue that it had, in fact, saved the medical system $2 billion in
nursing 
home costs, as smokers die prematurely and need less long-term care ("Putting" 1)." 
Since people die earlier from the cigarettes, the medical system saved several billion 
dollars. This industry helps save the government money so they should be allowed to 
continue with their business. Finally, everyone has the freedom to make his or her own 
choice. "As lawyers for the incriminated tobacco companies point out, the decision to 
smoke is an individual choice" ("Putting" 1). People make the decision to smoke, not the

tobacco industry. The industry shouldn't be sued or limited just because someone dies 
from their own decision. People have chosen to smoke for thousands of years, and the 
tobacco industry should be allowed to continue providing the people with what they want 
without the interference of the US Government.
Tobacco hurts millions of people every year, even those that choose not to smoke. 
On June 16th 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report 
estimating that 700 million children around the world are exposed to second hand 
smoke. WHO confirmed that second-hand smoke is associated with lower 
respiratory tract infections, middle ear disease, chronic respiratory symptoms, 
asthma, decreased lung functions and SIDs. ("Kids" 1)
Therefore it is clear that millions of children are hurt by second hand smoke. This 
industry needs to be stopped from providing a product that damages young children who 
are exposed without personal use or personal choice. Smoking also damages the people 
that use it. David Davies, vice president of corporate affairs at Phillip Morris Europe,

stated that, "Smoking causes disease such as lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease, and 
cardiovascular disease. We agree that smoking is addictive" (Kapp 2). Smoking damages 
people and they continue to use this harmful product because they are addicted. Most 
people are unable to pay for medical bills from their tobacco caused diseases, so it is
left 
to the government to pay, which is unfair and a waste of tax money. All Americans 
become financially responsible to care for these self-inflicted diseases. Finally,
tobacco is 
becoming a major cause of death. A coalition of US organizations, including the 
American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, and American Medical 
Association said that, "More people worldwide are expected to die from tobacco-related 
illness over the next 30 years than from AIDS, automobile accidents, maternal mortality,

homicide and suicide combined" (Kapp 2). Tobacco will soon be the cause of a gigantic 
number of deaths. A product so deadly should not be legal for public use and it's one of

the roles of the government to protect its people and look after the public's health and

welfare. The tobacco industry really needs to be controlled by the government because it

is the cause of so much harm to the public and because they are either too immoral or too

greedy to police themselves.
Tobacco industries use many unethical business practices, a major one being 
advertising. "Since 1964, when the surgeon-general declared smoking a health hazard, t
he government had progressively restricted the venues in which Big Tobacco can ply it's 
wares [,]...[b]ut each time big Tobacco has found new outlets, splattering it's name 
across the likes of race cars, T shirts and baseball caps" (Kaufman and Solomon 1). The 
government has tried many ways to limit the tobacco industry, but it still finds ways to

advertise to children. These are unethical ways to advertise. They shouldn't be allowed 
to continue finding ways around limits set by the government. Furthermore, the industry 
also keeps the products addictive to maintain customers. "Hilts demonstrates that tobacco

companies use various techniques to manipulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. This

manipulation enables them to keep the nicotine in cigarettes at appropriate addiction 
levels" (Levinson 1). The tobacco companies make sure that there is enough nicotine in 
cigarettes to make sure people get addicted. They should not be allowed to make their 
products so addictive, but instead the Food and Drug Administration should regulate the 
nicotine content in cigarettes, like they do for the gum and patches, so that they aren't
as 
addictive. Moreover, even preteens are starting to catch on to the ads. "There is even 
evidence that pre-school children are aware of cigarette advertising. Fischler found that

30% of 3 year olds and 90% of 6 year olds correctly matched 'Old Joe,' the cartoon 
character promoting Camel cigarettes, with a picture of a cigarette" (Hastings and Aitken

2). Children as young as three are recognizing cigarette ads, showing that the ads are 
targeting children. Children so young should not be targeted by ads that are for a 
dangerous product they can't even legally use for many years. The tobacco industry's 
unethical business practices should not be allowed to continue.
The tobacco industry has a long history of unethical and immoral business 
practices and their product is an addictive poison that had become like a modern plague 
that is a major source of severe medical disease and death. Tobacco usage has spread 
worldwide and can now be found in nearly every country. Unfortunately, people continue 
to use tobacco as it has been used in many forms for thousands of years since its first
use 
by the Native Americans.
Bibliography
Hastings, Gerard B, and Aitken, Philip P. "Tobacco Advertising and Children's Smoking: 
A Review of the Evidence." European Journal of Marketing 29 (1995): 6-18.
Teinowitz, Ira. "American Lung Ass'n Seeks Ban on All Cig Ad Symbols." Advertising 
Age 68 (1997): 30+.
Levinson, Martin H. "Books." ETC: A Review of General Semantics 53 (1997): 474-477.
Kaufman, Leslie, and Solomon, Jolie. "Stealth Marketing." Newsweek March 1997: 
2-7.
Kapp, Clare. "Publice Hearings on Tobacco Hailed a Success." Lancet 356 (2000): 
1420+.
"Kids Suffer from Smoke." Natural Life 68 (1999): 14+.
"Putting a Price on Life." UNESCO Courier Sep. 1998: 40.
"Philip Morris Agrees Cigarettes are Addictive but Resists Tough Controls." AP 
Worldstream Oct. 2000.