The Corporate Sell

California State University, Dominguez Hills
Created: July 17, 2001
Latest update: July 20, 2001
jeannecurran@habermas.org.
takata@uwp.edu.

Philip Morris Report Attacked

Teaching Essay by Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata
Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan Takata, July 2001. "Fair use" encouraged.

This essay is based on a PSN post by David Fasenfest. The story is at Associated Press. You will need to go to the Western States pull down list, and select the Los Angeles Times Web Site. Click on Go, and you're into the Associated Press Site. Click on search in the menu line along the top. Type in search term: "Philip Morris Report Attacked". Click radio button for Wire search if it is within two weeks of July 17, 2001. There is a backup copy link above, in case you are reading this in September.

This story is not about the harms of smoking. That has been conceded by all parties. We understand that it's a tough habit to break. But this is not about the smokers' responsibility to himself/herself and others not to harm. Since we know that there is verifiable harm, is there an ethical and moral issue in recruiting young people to the practice? What about the corporation that has staked its profits on this harmful substance?

U.S. corporations, driven to take up more responsible approaches in the US, are recruiting smokers in foreign countries. And they are seeking ways to justify that undertaking. Smoking saves the foreign countries money by the early deaths its causes. And the taxes on importation balance the costs of health care until the victims die. What's wrong with this picture?

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