Tobacco Companies and Responsibilities - Case Study Example

SHOULD TOBACCO COMPANIES BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR SMOKING RELATED DEATHS OUTLINE I. Thesis. Tobacco companies are manufacturers of smoking products. they can be held responsible for smoking related deaths because their smoking products provides facility to customers for smoking which makes them ill and finally die. II. Tobacco companies do extensive advertisement for promoting their smoking products 1. Tobacco companies spent millions of dollars on extensive advertising 2. Tobacco companies depict smoking as a style statement and as a source of satisfaction III. Tobacco companies sell smoking products at an affordable rate to promote smoking 1. Tobacco companies sell smoking products at a rate which is easily affordable by a layman and even children 2. Tobacco companies offer smoking products in packs so that product can become more economical for customers IV. Tobacco companies offer variety of flavors to attract customer towards smoking 1. Tobacco companies offer various flavors in cigarettes and cigars to attract customers 2. Tobacco companies leave no stone unturned for motivating customers towards smoking V. Conclusion. Tobacco companies can be held responsible for smoking related products because they manufacture smoking products and make them available for smoking. The availability makes customer smoke and eventually dies a smoking related death. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Clive Bates, Andy Rowell. "TOBACCO EXPLAINED." n.d. 16 april 2014. . The report is a piece of work from research reports by world health organization. In this report, the author has talked about smoking products and their effects on the health care sector. There is information about the number of patients of smoking every year that provides information to be used in our research. The results of the report gave us logic about how tobacco companies are motivating their customers to buy their products and end up die a smoking related death. 2. RICHARD DOLL, A. BRADFORD HILL. "THE MORTALITY OF DOCTORS IN RELATION TO THEIR SMOOKI1NG HABITS." British Medical Journal (1954). 17 april 2014. . The reference of an article by British medical journal contains very useful information about link of tobacco use and lung diseases. The reference is selected because of its high relevancy to research topic. The authors have conducted a study on 5,000 respondents which made them conclude that heavy smokers are more in number for lung diseases as compared to non-smokers. The mortality rate is high among smokers because of lung cancer as compared to a non-smoker. The reference is used in a point which is supporting research title that tobacco companies should be held responsible for smoking related deaths. The research style, content and results made it a very useful reference to be included in this report. 3. Glantz, Pamela M. Ling and Stanton A. "Why and How the Tobacco Industry Sells Cigarettes to Young Adults: Evidence From Industry Documents." American Journal of Public Health 92.6 (2002): 908-916. 17 april 2014. . A thorough research is conducted by Pamela and Stanton for American journal of medical health. The research has 200 documented respondents from tobacco industry which contributed their part in drawing results of conclusion. The purpose of using this article in the report is because of its relevancy with the research purpose. It studies the purpose and way of selling cigarettes by tobacco companies to young adults. Authors have detailed information about how tobacco companies sell cigarettes. They also found the root causes of purpose of selling. Information in this article made it a very useful reference for research to write on purpose of selling cigarette by tobacco companies. 4. K. Michael Cummings, Anthony Brown and Richard O'Connor. "The Cigarette Controversy." Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16.6 (2007): 1070-1076. 17 april 2014. . Michael Cummings along with his colleagues did a research on role of cigarettes and cigarette manufacturing companies in smoking related deaths. The research is conducted on controversial points of cigarette use. The article has useful information about different aspects of cigarette use such as low quality cigarette, nicotine addiction, second hand smoke addiction, etc. therefore, it is very useful for our research. The reason for choosing this article is its informative content and diversity of research areas which are needed for completion of our research. There are facts and cases in this references due to which it is included for referencing our research. 5. Melanie Wakefield, Kim Mcleod and Katherine Clegg Smith. "Individual versus corporate responsibility for smoking-related illness: Australian press coverage of the Rolah McCabe trial." Health Promot. Int 18.4 (2003): 297-305. 18 april 2014. . This article has detailed research on the role of tobacco companies in smoking related deaths. it is a research conducted in Australia for identifying frames of tobacco companies and smoking related deaths. The reason for choosing this reference is because of its direct correspondence with our research topic. The research is conducted in detail and provides a well thought conclusion. It is beneficial for our research because it has facts and statistics that are needed to provide logic to our research. 6. Nyi Nyi Naing, Zulkifli Ahmad, Razlan Musa, Farique Rizal Abdul Hamid, Haslan Ghazali, Mohd Hilmi Abu Bakar. "Factors Related to Smoking Habits of Male Adolescents ." TOBACCO INDUCED DISEASES 2.3 (2004): 133-140. 17 april 2014. . Naing and authors conducted a research in which they discuss smoking habits in young male adolescents. The reference was chosen because of its informative content when we have to mention smoking in adolescents. The research is detailed and provides strong logic for the content of point. INTRODUCTION Smoking is a bad habit. Smoking is hazardous for a person’s health and well-being. It is a selected habit in which smoker is usually aware of the awful consequences of his habit. Smoking affects a person’s lungs and mouth directly. There are numerous diseases which are caused by the habit of smoking. A smoker is prone to more dangerous diseases than a non-smoker. A lung cancer study shows majority of patients are found to be heavy smokers than nonsmokers. (RICHARD DOLL)One must wonder what could be the decrease of the rate if smokers do not get cigarettes to smoke. The answer is very simple. The less is availability of cigarettes, lesser will be its purchase and use. This answer takes us to the manufacturers of cigarettes for smoking related diseases and deaths as we all know that a cigarette cannot be made at home. Normal form of tobacco which is not refined, cannot be chewed neither it can produce smoke. Thus, the need for smoking remains there even if tobacco is chewed or swallowed. The proper satisfaction of smoking need is always fulfilled by smoking a cigarette, cigar or any other tobacco item that are all manufactured by tobacco companies. People purchase their products and satisfy their smoking needs. They start from one cigarette and gradually become a chain smoker that destroys their internal health system and appearance in a dreadful way. A smoker is not only prone to internal diseases but his external appearance also gets affected. He became a patient of cardiovascular diseases, kidney and lung diseases, dental diseases, skin diseases and other kinds of major and minor diseases by using products of tobacco companies. Therefore, it is an undeniable fact that tobacco companies should be held responsible for smoking related deaths. (Nyi Nyi Naing) Tobacco companies are termed as the root cause of smoking related deaths. It has been decades that tobacco is found to be a consumable product. Later, tobacco companies started manufacturing smoking products such as cigarettes and cigars which became a global business. Now there is a giant industry of smoking products that are being manufactured by tobacco companies. Customers are dangerously addicted to smoking in spite of significant increases in smoking related deaths every year. In this report, we shall conduct a documented research on reasons for making tobacco companies responsible for smoking related deaths. Point # 1: Tobacco companies promotional techniques Every year millions of people die because of tobacco usage. Health care practitioners have declared use of tobacco no less than a poison for a human body. Its continuous use can make a person’s body organs stop functioning like a normal human organ. Their performance becomes slow which affects a smoker’s productivity rate. Unfortunately, Juveniles are also found to be in smoking addiction. (Glantz) The point of discussion is the motivational forces that persuade smokers to buy cigarettes and do smoking. Smoking is not contagious. It is a personal choice whether to do it or not. According to statistics, tobacco companies spend $8.4 billion every year on promotion and advertisement of their products. They spent almost $23 million every day to advertise cigarettes and attract people towards smoking. The source of motivation becomes clear here. Promotional and advertising techniques of tobacco companies are catchy and attractive for people. They get inspired from advertisements in which cigarette smoking is portrayed as a luxury habit and the style statement. Some tobacco companies also advertise smoking as a source of satisfaction which is the utmost needs of every other person nowadays. They feel motivated to try it and gradually become addicted to it. Tobacco companies are in direct contact with best advertisement agencies to make their products look like a very positive and entertaining item which can change a person’s mood and the image of personality. There is no advertisement seen by any tobacco company till date in which smoking is portrayed as a harmful habit for customers. There is serious violation of ethics by tobacco companies as they portray a hazardous item as a source of satisfaction and luxury. The result of such advertisement is more purchase and consumption of cigarettes and more rates of smoking related deaths. Point # 2: Tobacco companies sell cigarettes at affordable rates A Cigarette is the most commonly used products of tobacco companies for smoking. It is available at affordable rates which a common man and even a child can afford easily. Cigarettes come in packs of 20 which make it even more economical for consumers. Children are also found to be addicted to cigarettes because of its affordability rate. (K. Michael Cummings) Tobacco companies set their pricing strategy profitable for their business and economical for their customers. They form cigarette packaging in bulks which cost them very low. Mass production of cigarettes results in setting a very reasonable rate for smokers. Usually, a layman can afford a pack of cigarette easily especially in developing countries. Ironically, we can say that it is also easy for a layman to die from a smoking related disease because of its easy availability by tobacco companies. Another aspect of pricing strategy is to make cigarette smoking an essential activity for customers. Tobacco companies set their price in order to make customers use it frequently. Usually, cigarette smoking is found to be very relaxing and satisfying for smokers. They enjoy smoking and become addicted to it. The only thing which can stop majority of low and middle income class smokers from smoking is the pricing of cigarette. Tobacco companies are fully aware of this fact and set their price accordingly. They do not want to lose their majority of customer market belonging to lower and middle income class. Therefore, they set that rate which cannot make a customer stop buying it. They buy it frequently which destroys their health speedily. Eventually they die because of smoking related illness. Point # 3: Tobacco companies offer variety of smoking products for smoker’s delight Tobacco companies offer various kinds of products that make it tempting for people with different choices. Although cigarette is the most common form of smoking, tobacco companies offer more kinds of tobacco products that are used for smoking. Some of these forms are chewing tobacco, cigars, creamy snuff (a paste of tobacco that can be eaten with spoon, dipping tobacco) etc. that can be used for tobacco consumption. Cigars are second after cigarette to be used for smoking. Tobacco companies also offer them in various sizes and types so that customers should not leave it because he does not like one type. (Clive Bates) Cigarettes and cigars both are offered in various flavors and types. Earlier, there were only standard tastes in cigars and cigarettes that were available but now there are more than twenty flavors offered by tobacco companies for their customers. the customer can choose from a variety of flavors for smoking. Tobacco companies leave no stone unturned to attract customers for smoking. Customer buys them and smoke which make their lungs and other parts of the body directly affected. They are not left behind in this aspect of choice to motivate customers from smoking. To summarize, the sole purpose of tobacco companies is to motivate customers to smoke by offering a wide range of flavors. They want to drag a person to smoking that can put his health at stake. Because of endless efforts of tobacco companies for increasing their customers, there is a rise in number of smoked cigarettes which results in a rise in smoking related deaths as well. (Melanie Wakefield) CONCLUSION Smoking is injurious to health. There is no second opinion in blaming smoking as a cause of medical diseases. Tobacco companies are manufacturers of smoking products and are responsible for smoking related deaths. Although smoking is a personal choice but still tobacco companies are the providers of those smoking products. A customer may choose a cigarette by his/her own choice but still something could be done to make a consumer think whether he/she should choose to smoke or not. If products are not being manufactured, a customer will have no choice but to quit this awful habit. There would be a visible decrease in smoking related deaths if tobacco companies stop manufacturing cigarettes. The issue of tobacco companies’ responsibilities can be resolved by spreading more awareness among people to stop purchase of cigarettes. The simplest solution to this problem is to make people aware of the fact that they are buying a form of slow poison for themselves in the form of smoking products. When customers will be convinced completely, he will not purchase products of tobacco companies. Tobacco companies will lose their customer market and eventually stop manufacturing smoking products. Smoking hazards and fatal nature should be taught to people more. It is the social responsibility of each and every person to spread awareness about tobacco companies’ products which cease their business resulting in well-being of people. References Clive Bates, Andy Rowell. "TOBACCO EXPLAINED." n.d. 16 april 2014. . Glantz, Pamela M. Ling and Stanton A. "Why and How the Tobacco Industry Sells Cigarettes to Young Adults: Evidence From Industry Documents." American Journal of Public Health 92.6 (2002): 908-916. 17 april 2014. . K. Michael Cummings, Anthony Brown and Richard O'Connor. "The Cigarette Controversy." Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16.6 (2007): 1070-1076. 17 april 2014. . Melanie Wakefield, Kim Mcleod and Katherine Clegg Smith. "Individual versus corporate responsibility for smoking-related illness: Australian press coverage of the Rolah McCabe trial." Health Promot. Int 18.4 (2003): 297-305. 18 april 2014. . Nyi Nyi Naing, Zulkifli Ahmad, Razlan Musa, Farique Rizal Abdul Hamid, Haslan Ghazali, Mohd Hilmi Abu Bakar. "Factors Related to Smoking Habits of Male Adolescents." TOBACCO INDUCED DISEASES 2.3 (2004): 133-140. 17 april 2014. . RICHARD DOLL, A. BRADFORD HILL. "THE MORTALITY OF DOCTORS IN RELATION TO THEIR SMOOKI1NG HABITS." British Medical Journal (1954). 17 april 2014. . Read More