Tobacco companies being held responsible for smoke related illness or death

Introduction

Smoking is harmful for health, almost everyone knows about this fact but the smokers are not at all bothered. Smoking is a choice: no one forces people to smoke. The general public has been well educated about the health risks and hazards of smoking, so people who smoke are fully informed about the possible consequences of their habit. Despite of knowing the hazards of smoking, people get addicted towards cigarettes, and the tobacco companies are to be blamed for this addiction. Quitting smoking requires strong willpower and using the resources that are available, such as nicotine replacement therapies.

The government acts as a 'hypocritical fiscal middleman' between the tobacco Industry and the consumer, deriving huge profit from the tobacco excise. Tobacco companies use superficial and convincing marketing strategies to promote their product. The individual is not to be blamed for responding to these messages and becoming hopelessly addicted to tobacco, Tobacco companies, not the smoker, should be held responsible if smoking results in disease and death. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and quitting it is a struggle for most smokers. The government should take action to stop people smoking and should also take action against the tobacco companies. The government should use its power to regulate the tobacco industry. Providing health care for smoking-related disease is a cost borne by the non-smoking taxpayer. The tobacco industry uses clever marketing techniques to promote tobacco. It is not surprising they shredded documents to cover up their strategies for addicting more people to tobacco.

This essay will discuss about why the tobacco companies should be held responsible for smoking related illness or death.

The Juvenile Smoking Act 1919 (Bengal ACT II of 1919

This is an act for the prevention of smoking by Juveniles. “No person shall sell or give to a person apparently under the age of 16 years any tobacco, pipes or cigarettes papers whether for his own use or not” (Strecher, 1995, 45). It is Lawful for a police officer or any other person duly authorized by the government, to seize any tobacco or cigarettes papers in the possession of any person under the age of 16 whom he finds smoking in any street or public place.

Why tobacco companies should be held responsible?

In the year 1 960 and 1988, approximately three hundred lawsuits wanted to sue tobacco companies ...