The Ethical Implications from Marketing Cigarettes to Young People in African Countries - Essay Example

THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS FROM MARKETING CIGARETTES TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 The Ethical Implications from Marketing Cigarettes to Young People in African Countries Introduction Marketers have often been critiqued for using selective marketing strategies aimed at targeting a vulnerable group. The criticism is even worse when the product being sold is harmful to the society. Other than the inordinate criticism, little has been done to deter such practices. Cigarette is one product where marketers have practiced target market selection frequently. Cigarette related harms have raised global concerns over the recent past. Although cigarette smoking and addiction have reduced in some parts of the word, the problem remains rampant in developing world such as in Africa. Majority of people in developed countries are informed on the negative health effects of addictive smoking cigarettes. Additionally, governments in most developed countries have enacted laws to prohibit marketing strategies that may result in sale of cigarettes to young people particularly children. However, most third world countries such as in Africa have no laws to prevent sale of cigarettes to young people. Cigarettes products generate a lot of revenue and third world countries often allow reckless importation and marketing of cigarettes. In most third world countries, the importation as well as market of cigarettes is legal and there are no laws prohibiting sale of cigarettes to young people. This raises the ethical question regarding sale of products such as cigarettes, which cause health problems, addiction, and death. This paper will critically discuss the ethical implications from marketing cigarettes to young people in African countries. Background In recent years there have been considerable concerns concerning marketing of products considered harmful to humans. Following reduction of consumption of tobacco products such as cigarettes in developed world, tobacco firms are now targeting the young people in Africa. In the attempt to attract these young people, the companies have been adjusting their marketing strategies to ensure that they entice young people to use tobacco products. One strategy that the companies use includes selling of cigarettes as single stakes (Chung, et al. 2002). This is attractive to the young people from the poor African countries who cannot afford to buy the product in packets. It is appropriate to use attractive strategies in marketing to attract customers. However, this should not be the case if the marketer is aware of negative implications associated with use of a product. Moreover, targeting a vulnerable group is even more unethical. In case of British American Tobacco, there has been cases where children as young as 11 years have been involved in both smoking and selling of cigarettes (Gillespie, et al. 2010), Free Markets and Marketing Marketing is an essential component for the success of any business. Companies have marketing strategies that go beyond advertisements. The marketing policies entail identifying the target market for a given product and applying market strategies likely to entice the particular market (MacFadyen, et al. 2001). Therefore, marketing strategies are designed to ensure that the advertisement is received and understood by the target market. However, companies are required to be responsible in the way they convey their message. This should be through use of marketing policies that are truthful and reflect ethical standards. Although the main aim of most companies is to maximize on profits, the public is increasingly demanding that companies act responsibly and ethically in their activities (Carpenter, et al. 2005; Gillespie, et al. 2010). Ethical Issues Related to Sale of Cigarettes to Young People In marketing, ethical issues take different forms. They include the advertisement or promotion methods used in marketing a product. Tobacco industry has been in the limelight for a long time due to the advertisement methodologies used in marketing. Cigarettes are regarded as dangerous to the health of consumers in most countries. Advertisements by cigarette companies are thus viewed with a lot of suspicion. From records, cigarette companies have the tendency of portraying their product as beneficial irrespective of the many health concerns associated with cigarette smoking (Carpenter, et al. 2005). In most developed countries, advertisement of cigarettes on the television has been banned. However, cigarette companies in Africa continue using marketing strategies that are likely to confuse consumers. In most cases, health and good-looking young people feature in cigarette advertisement. This is intended to convey an erroneous message that smoking is a good idea and not harmful. Additionally, cigarette companies use other advertisement strategies such as magazines and billboards, which in most cases demonstrate cigarette smoking as a good practice (Goldberg, et al. 2006). Considerable research has been conducted on marketing ethics. This is because high numbers of unethical practices often hits marketing. In quite a number of developed countries, it is unethical and forbidden to sell cigarettes to minors. The cigarette companies follow these rules. However, this is not the case in African countries. The same companies that abide to rules requiring them not to sell cigarettes to minors do the opposite while marketing their products in the developing countries (Mahoney 2010). In Africa, there is limited technology and understanding of the effects of cigarette smoking especially in most rural areas. Cigarette companies take advantage of such ignorance to market their product to the uninformed young people. This is unethical and the cigarette companies should be responsible enough to avoid sale of cigarettes to minor irrespective of where they could be located (Hastings 2002). Arguments Associated With Cigarette Marketing and Ethics Cigarette companies argue that they warn their customers of the danger involved with smoking just because they fix a surgeons warning that smoking causes health problems such as lung cancer, emphysema, and heart ailments on the cigar packets. Although this is true, their advertisements exhibit otherwise. The advertisements portray young people with athletic bodies with heroic words. Moreover, they tend to overemphasize on the advertisement which creates the impression that smoking healthy (Nelson, et al. 2008). Every year, thousands of people in African countries and other parts die of tobacco related complications. Most of these people are from Africa where most smokers are unaware of the problems associated with smoking. Surgeons have found cigarette smoking to be amongst the major killers in Africa (Hastings 2002). Cigarettes are not just lethal but also contain an addictive substance. Therefore, people who start smoking at an early age are likely to get addicted early in life. In cases of addiction, the smokers may end up dying early in life. Additionally, smoking related illnesses reduce the productivity of young people (Mahoney 2010; Hastings, 2002). Irrespective of the evidence that cigarette contains lethal and addictive drugs, they continue to be sold legally. Moreover, cigarette companies are targeting vulnerable groups such as the young people, who are likely to be convinced easily or influenced by their peers. Additionally, the product is advertised in the media using deceiving messages. Though there are no sturdy laws prohibiting sale of cigarettes in African countries, there is need for cigarette companies to follow the marketing ethics, which demand that marketers inform the consumers the side effects associated with use of a product. This is because the advertisements are a violation of moral rights (Quinn, et al., 2011). Activists opposed to sale of cigarettes argue that the freedom of expression of any individual or group of persons should not be used to harm others. Therefore, advertising of cigarettes using deceiving should be banned. This is because such advertisements have been shown to increase cigarette smoking especially among young people who are likely to be influenced easily. Moreover, the costs emanating from smoking related problems incur a great burden on the health systems in African countries. In addition, cigarette smoking leads to reduced livelihood amongst young people (World Health Organization 2003). Another reason why promotion of cigarettes while targeting young people should be banned is that the society has an ethical role of protecting individuals from being deceived or manipulated. The promotion strategies are deceptive since they portray the product as fit for human consumptions while there are no identified benefits associated with smoking. Cigarette marketers are unethical since they make use of manipulation to convince young people in Africa to purchase the harmful product. The advertisements associate cigarette smoking with a healthy lifestyle. On the contrary, cigarette smoking harms the body. However, most young people in Africa are deceived and tend to associate cigarette smoking with some honor. They thus end up influencing each other to engage in cigarette smoking (Borgerson & Schroeder 2004). This is because the advertisements manipulate them psychologically arousing desire to engage in the harmful practice (Goldberg, et al. 2006). The main reason why there are several young people in Africa engage in cigarette smoking is that most of the advertisements are designed with the aim of targeting them. The cigarette industry requires recruiting smokers continuously to keep making profits. The industry is thus forced to use manipulative strategies to entice the young people, who are likely to fall victims of deception easily. Additionally, the young people are likely to influence their friends through peer pressure resulting in the ever-increasing number of young people engaging in cigarette smoking (Goldberg, et al. 2006; Lamb, et al. 2008). Cigarette industry has put forward arguments to safeguard their advertisements. They claim that advertisements do not generate new smokers. Additionally, they argue that their advertisements do not target any particular group. These arguments are unsubstantiated since the industry would not spend billions of money to create awareness if the practice did not help widen their market. Arguing that their advertisements do not target any particular group is another unfounded argument. Young people do most of the advertisements and the language used in the advertisements is youth friendly (Nelson, et al. 2008; Andreasen, 2001). There is existing evidence that shows advertisements and other forms of tobacco promotions lead to increase in use of cigarette. The advertisements encourage the young people to smoke cigarettes through different ways (Sundaram & Mitra 2007). The advertisements make the young people curious and they eventually begin to experiment with tobacco, which leads to increased use and addiction at times. Another way in which the cigarette advertisements increase use of tobacco is through use of low costs. Most tobacco products are sold at low prices hence affordable to the young Africans (Elise & Nancy 1997). Additionally, some distributors sell the cigarettes as sticks other than in packets. This entices the youths to start using tobacco products. Since cigarettes are addictive, the advertisements act as baits to encourage former smokers to resume smoking. Additionally, the advertisements motivate young people who have started smoking to continue. This is because the advertisements do not portray the negative impacts associated with continued use of cigarettes (Quinn, et al. 2011). Tobacco industry advertisements encourage use of cigarettes indirectly. Advertisements Medias such as magazines get considerable amount of money through cigarette advertisements. Therefore, such media may not be dedicated to discuss the negative effects of cigarette usage. Additionally, the tobaccos industry sponsors events such as sports and organizational events may hinder such organization from creating awareness against use of cigarettes. In Africa, it is common for some cigarette brands to sponsor sports activities (Rob, et al. 2002). In such cases, the youths participating in the activities may start considering cigarettes smoking to be appropriate. This is more so in Africa where most sports activities require sponsorship. Additionally, such organizations may start engaging in activities that promote use of cigarettes among young people (Carrigan 2005). Additionally, use of friendly cigarette advertisements often leads people to perceive cigarette smoking as an acceptable practice. Such perception may make the society regard use of cigarettes amongst young people (Quinn, et al. 2011). Cigarette manufacturing companies argue that the taste of their products drives the young people in Africa to use cigarettes. They claim that the advertisement or promotion activities have no much effect. However, most people begin to use cigarette after watching them being advertised. Young people like experiment with ideas. Therefore an appealing cigarette idea will make them want to experiment and revel in the sensation. It is after this that most young people become addicted. Advertisements play a major role in determining the taste and preference of customers. Therefore, it is tenuous to argue that advertisements have not played a major role in encouraging African youths to smoke cigarettes (Elise & Nancy 1997). Conclusion In developed countries, certain ways of advertising cigarettes have been banned. However, cigarette industry continues to use appealing messages and images in advertising cigarettes in African countries. This has led to misconception such that young people begin to consider cigarette smoking a noble practice. Additionally, cigarette-manufacturing companies sell their products at low prices, which temps young people to use cigarettes. Other than selling the cigarettes in packets, distributors in African countries unpack the cigarettes and sell them as single sticks. This makes it possible for young people to purchase. Additionally, cigarette companies continue to sponsor youth activities such as sports. This has led to misconceptions where the society starts viewing cigarette smoking as an acceptable practice. This is irrespective of the many health hazards associated with cigarette smoking. Use of marketing strategies that deceive the public is unethical. Therefore, the cigarette industry does not obey the advertisement ethic since it uses advertisements aimed at manipulating the youths to use cigarettes. The main aim of the cigarette industry is to make profit. However, this is erroneous since cigarettes contain a lethal and addictive substance. Use of cigarettes amongst the youth has resulted into health problems such as lung cancer and heart problems. Such ailments have become an economic burden to individuals as well as African countries that have to spend billions of dollars in treating smoking related problems. Therefore, cigarette industry should consider being responsible and creating awareness of the harmful effects of their products. Works Cited Andreasen, A 2001, Ethics in Social Marketing, Georgetown University Press, New York. Borgerson, J. & Schroeder, J 2004, Ethical Issues and International Marketing, Inter-disciplinary CSR Research Conference, Volume Paper number 04/03, pp. 1-26. Carpenter, C. et al. 2005, New Cigarette Brands With Flavors That Appeal To Youth: Tobacco Marketing Strategies, Health Affairs, 24(6), pp. 1601-1610. Carrigan, M 2005, Ethics And International Marketing: Research Background And Challenges, Emerald Group Publishing, London. 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