4 ms·
Why is it the job of the tobacco seller to educate the public on the dangers of smoking? Why would they invest their money in such an anti-marketing campaign?
by sjroot 8y ago
Why is it the job of the tobacco seller to educate the public on the dangers of smoking? Why would they invest their money in such an anti-marketing campaign?
Advertising with factually inaccurate information, of course, should be punishable by law.
Consumers need to be educated from an early age on how to identify legitimate sources of information. That is becoming more apparent every single day.
- smallnamespace 8y ago> should be punishable by law. That's exactly what happened, e.g.: 'For example, Pennsylvania brought suit alleging a "conspiracy in concealing and misrepresenting the addictive and harmful nature of tobacco/nicotine[,] . . . industry control and manipulation of nicotine to foster addiction and thus profits[,] . . . intentionally attracting and addicting children to tobacco products," and "targeting African Americans" (complaint in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Philip Morris, Inc.). These claims encompass civil conspiracy, willful and negligent breach of a special duty, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent design, strict liability, unfair trade practices, public nuisance, and negligent and intentional entrustment.' [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Master_Settlement_Agreement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Master_Settlement_Agre...
- thaumasiotes 8y agoBut the terms of the Master Settlement Agreement apply to all tobacco companies regardless of whether they existed at the time. You can't argue that a new tobacco company did anything wrong. But they're fully as liable as the old ones, somehow. It's also hard to see how the punishment for misconduct, even misconduct that actually occurred, can be a fine paid every year for eternity.
- rco8786 8y ago> Consumers need to be educated from an early age on how to identify legitimate sources of information. That is becoming more apparent every single day. Absolutely right. And a huge part of that involves rooting out those who publish misinformation and pay money to get that misinformation published in what is otherwise a reliable outlet for information. Like in the case of tobacco.
- namlem 8y agoIf your product is hazardous, it should at the very least include warnings on the package. We require this of medication, why not other products like tobacco. It's unrealistic to expect consumers to be able to thoroughly research everything they buy. Warning labels are not paternalism, they're a way of correcting information asymmetries.