Cigarettes are an especially dangerous product, and their manufacture, marketing

Question

Cigarettes are an especially dangerous product, and their manufacture, marketing, advertising, and sale raise a number of acute questions relevant to the consumer issues discussed in this chapter. For instance, what are the responsibilities to consumers of companies that sell potentially or (in the case of cigarettes) inherently harmful products? To what extent do manufacturers abuse advertising? When is advertising deceptive? Can advertisers create or at least stimulate desires for products that consumers would not otherwise want or would not otherwise want as much? How, if at all, should advertising be restricted?

provide a response to this case at least (100-150 words)

Explanation / Answer

Tobacco advertising has always been a debatable and questionable sphere. Advertisers usually face both the ethical dilemma as well as the pressure from the relevant government authorities such as Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on what to advertise and what not to advertise when it comes to cigarette advertising. As the case mentions, cigarette is a dangerous product that has several adverse effects on human health. Companies and Advertisers that produces, sell and market these products have certain responsibilities regarding educating the customers about the adverse consequences that the consumption of cigarettes can have on their body. In most of the countries such as India, Australia, UK, US, cigarette advertising is either completely banned or is curbed with many restrictions.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has strictly banned the advertising of cigarettes on popular communication channels such as television and radio. These channels have huge penetration since larger set of audiences have access to them and therefore, even the minors (under the age of 21) are exposed to the cigarette ads. In addition, a cigarette advertiser cannot publish ads in magazines that have target audience as people under the age of 21. FCC also restricts cigarette advertising in Universities, Colleges and School campuses through sampling, posters, banners, sponsorships, or in any other form.

In case of cigarette advertising, advertisers are strictly restricted from stimulating desires among their prospective customers and instead they are forced to print statutory health warnings on cigarette packets and in their other modes of communication. In India, the statutory warning message, “Tobacco causes cancer” can be found on the cigarette packets and as well as inside the shops selling tobacco based products. Apart from banning cigarette ads to a certain target audience, there are also restrictions like the ads cannot depict cigarette smoking as smart and cool way of living or as a way to impress the opposite sex.

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