Introduction
The tobacco industry is big business in the country of India. It provides jobs, revenue, and funding to a variety of events. Because of concerns related to a rising adolescent consumer base within this industry, a ban on advertising was introduced on 2001. This sparked a great debate within the country and the world, regarding the ethics behind advertising a product that results in hospitalization and eventually, death. Some believe that this movement was not well-thought out, as financial concerns mounted. In this paper, I will address the viewpoints of those in favor of the ban, those in opposition to it, the impact on the government of India, and lastly, my suggestion as to how this dilemma should be resolved.
Those in Favor …show more content…
They stated that if tobacco products could be sold, then they should also be advertised. These advertisements, they claimed, empowered consumers to make informed decisions about tobacco brands. They also asserted that advertisements were aimed at people who already smoked, and were completely irrelevant to people who did not smoke. Lastly, they claimed that advertisements did not target younger consumers. In a study conducted in 1998, respondents supported this claim. In this study, when asked how they started smoking, no participants cited advertising as being …show more content…
Both opponents and proponents cited the impact on employment within the tobacco industry. On one end, politicians who support the tobacco industry could reflect on the loss of jobs resulting from a decrease in tobacco sales. These jobs provide income and taxes to their surround governments. A decrease in these could lead to lost wages, money, and displaced persons. This could create a strain on the government, who now must provide aid to these people who are out of work. On the other end, people who no longer work in the tobacco industry may now be free to pursue other careers. They may also apply their knowledge of farming and other tobacco related skills to similar fields. The politicians in these situations have a dilemma before
The tobacco industry is big business in the country of India. It provides jobs, revenue, and funding to a variety of events. Because of concerns related to a rising adolescent consumer base within this industry, a ban on advertising was introduced on 2001. This sparked a great debate within the country and the world, regarding the ethics behind advertising a product that results in hospitalization and eventually, death. Some believe that this movement was not well-thought out, as financial concerns mounted. In this paper, I will address the viewpoints of those in favor of the ban, those in opposition to it, the impact on the government of India, and lastly, my suggestion as to how this dilemma should be resolved.
Those in Favor …show more content…
They stated that if tobacco products could be sold, then they should also be advertised. These advertisements, they claimed, empowered consumers to make informed decisions about tobacco brands. They also asserted that advertisements were aimed at people who already smoked, and were completely irrelevant to people who did not smoke. Lastly, they claimed that advertisements did not target younger consumers. In a study conducted in 1998, respondents supported this claim. In this study, when asked how they started smoking, no participants cited advertising as being …show more content…
Both opponents and proponents cited the impact on employment within the tobacco industry. On one end, politicians who support the tobacco industry could reflect on the loss of jobs resulting from a decrease in tobacco sales. These jobs provide income and taxes to their surround governments. A decrease in these could lead to lost wages, money, and displaced persons. This could create a strain on the government, who now must provide aid to these people who are out of work. On the other end, people who no longer work in the tobacco industry may now be free to pursue other careers. They may also apply their knowledge of farming and other tobacco related skills to similar fields. The politicians in these situations have a dilemma before