Question

How would you respond to this post?

People who are addicted to nicotine are loyal customers to tobacco companies because individuals must smoke to avoid painful withdrawal. “Price elasticity of demand is defined as the percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price” (Douglas, 2012, sect. 4.2, para. 2). Price seems to have little effect on nicotine-addicted individuals as they will adjust their budgets to ensure that they have the money to purchase tobacco products as their demand is inelastic. Social smokers do not smoke regularly but instead smoke occasionally during social events such as on weekends, at parties, barbecues, outside bars, or restaurants (Hainer, 2010). Social smokers typically do not purchase cigarettes but instead get them for free from people at bars or parties. Social smokers have a much more elastic demand because they are not addicted to nicotine and do not have to have it to avoid withdrawal. Tobacco companies could profit a great deal if they could get social smokers to purchase their products. Heavy smokers are cutting back on smoking due to the government increasing awareness of health risks, placing smoking bans in public places, and the stigma surrounding smoking. Tobacco prices have increased significantly due to higher tax rates imposed by the government, which has resulted in a decrease in the number of daily smokers; however, the number of nondaily smokers has increased by forty percent between 1998 and 2001 (Hainer, 2010). Some believe that social smokers are low-level addicts as due to a study of college students, 60% who identified themselves as social smokers, 10% reported smoking at least every other day even though they denied being smokers (Hainer, 2010). If nicotine companies were to go out of business, many people would lose jobs resulting in economic upheaval. If the government could figure out ways to reduce the adverse side effects of nicotine products, it would be a win-win for consumers health-wise and nicotine companies financially.

Answer 1

The above article is rightly demonstrating the difference of social smokers from regular smokers. The tobacco business is threatened by the government policies and the initiatives taken in order to create awareness about the ill-effects of smoking. This has affected the nicotine companies adversely. Though, we could see this as ethical, it does affect employment. In order to arrive at a win-win situation for consumers and nicotine companies, the government is inventing new ways to minimize side effects of nicotine. Though this is done to safeguard both consumers as well as companies, this is an unethical approach. Smoking must be rooted out of the system permanently. Individuals involved in the nicotine business must be given other jobs or earning resources so that they can be economically settled. Health of consumers must be the prime objective of the government.