The Pros And Cons Of Tobacco Advertising

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In 2001, Indian government officials began discussing laws regarding a ban on all tobacco advertising in India. Indian officials, like many other governments around the world that imposed similar bans, felt an ethical and social responsibility to discourage usage of a product that is very dangerous and posed significant health risks to the population. However, such a ban could have significant economic impacts, considering revenue collected from taxes on the sale of these products, as well as potential impacts to jobs in the tobacco industry if sales decreased as a result. When arguing the benefits to such a ban, an assumption is made by the analysts that a decrease in advertising would correlate with decreased smoking rates, positively impacting the public health as a whole. Officials believed that restricting tobacco advertising would not impact the free trade market because of the popularity of tobacco products. Additionally, a ban on advertising would not impact the accessibility of tobacco products to the public. Smokers would still be free to purchase products if they choose to, therefore there is no infringement on the population’s right to choose. Officials also believed that by curtailing advertising, the impact of the advertising on the adolescent population would be lessened. Governments around the world had already imposed similar bans, acting under the premise that government officials had not only the right, but the responsibility to protect the public interest and safety. Data also shows that in countries where restrictions on advertising tobacco products were in place, there was a significant decrease in tobacco usage. Norway, for example, had a 26% decrease in smoking rates 20 years after a ban on advertising tobacco products was put in place (Ban on Tobacco, n.d., p. 3). Opponents of such a ban on tobacco advertising argue that restrictions raise ethical and commercial concerns and are not based on the facts. For example, opponents argue that an individual should have the right to choose to make a decision that affects their health. Tobacco industry officials claim that advertising is directed to the adult smoker, that they do not target youth populations, and that marketing simply provide smokers the opportunity to make a choice on brand selection. Advertisements were not targeted to “new” customers and do not encourage smoking, as evidenced by data secured by the India Market Research Bureau in 1998. In a study performed, none of the respondents said that they began smoking simply because of advertising, citing curiosity and peer pressure as the primary drivers (Ban on Tobacco, n.d., p.3). In addition, tobacco companies believe if tobacco products are legal to manufacture and distribute, they should be allowed to be legally advertised. Opponents to the advertising ban also point out that over 26 million jobs in the tobacco industry could be impacted due to a decrease in sales due to a lack of marketing (Ban on Tobacco, n.d., p. 4) The Indian government faced significant backlash on the decision to proceed with the ban. The …show more content…
In reading about the pros and cons to the advertising ban on tobacco products, the key question remain as to whether or not governments have a right to restrict advertising of a product. On one side of the argument, governments hold that they have an ethical responsibility to the public health. However, the economics of such a ban could pose other risks to local jobs and local businesses, as well revenue generated from the taxes generated on the sale of such products. In my opinion, governments and leaders have a responsibility to protect the public, and advertising for products such as tobacco products, which are most definitely harmful to our health, should be restricted. Earlier, I stated that tobacco companies used the data from the Indian Market Research Bureau where none of the respondents started smoking simply because of advertising. However, many responded that they started smoking because of curiosity. The whole idea of marketing and advertising is connecting with the consumer and creating some level of curiosity and connection with your product. Advertising piques a response of curiosity, so it is not unreasonable to make the connection that advertising tobacco products can lead to new consumers of the products. Laws that limit advertising these products does not take away my fundamental right to purchase or use these products, so I do not see how there is an infringement of personal rights by banning

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