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Progymasmata
Cigarettes Should be Illegal
In today's modern world, we have discovered many things about the workings of our bodies which were know known just a few decades ago. The human genome has been mapped, making it possible to engineer plants, and design medications for specific diseases. The need for a balance between exercise, food intake, and the kind of foods has been clearly documented. Products which were glamorized just a few decades ago have been targeted for extinction by consumer groups. As medical data has accumulated, mountains of evidence demonstrate that these products, which once were considered a part of a socially elite lifestyle, are dangerous, if not deadly, to human life. One such product is the cigarette.
The production and use of cigarettes have been a part of the American culture since we discovered the plants...
Once the dried and shredded leaves were shipped to the home land in Europe, the tobacco business became big enterprise, and southern plantations, built in the backs of the poor and slaves, became a multi-national enterprise. Companies and fortunes were built trading tobacco products. In the early 20th century, as Hollywood discovered the power of mass media, actors and actresses were paid additional stipends to include the small white accessories in their films. When America saw the rich and famous sucking on cigarettes, demand for the products increased. At the time, nothing was known about the addictive nature of nicotine, or the cancerous tendencies of tobacco smoke. What continued to be important those who manufactured and sold tobacco products was that people like them, and purchased them at a significant profit.
But can a society which calls itself moral and just continue to exploit the desires of its citizens, and continue to make profit on a product which is harmful to those who use it? In the 1970's,…
But can a society which calls itself moral and just continue to exploit the desires of its citizens, and continue to make profit on a product which is harmful to those who use it? In the 1970's, the Ford Motor Company encumbered significant fines for producing the Ford Pinto automobile. Consumers discovered that in specific circumstances, the gas tank exploded, and causing serious harm to the car's passengers. In the late 20th century, Bridgestone Firestone was found legally liable for rollover accidents when their poorly designed tires fragmented, and failed prematurely. Warehouses are still filled with defective tires as the company struggles with the aftermath of the most expensive product recall in the country's history.
Shouldn't a product which kills people slowly, but just as surely as an exploding gas tank and a rollover accident, also be banned form the consumer marketplace? Shouldn't a government which regulates the age at which its members can drink and drive also set limits on dangerous products? In other industries, products have warnings, or are distributed only through certified professionals. The country agrees that other drugs, such as marijuana, are illegal because of the detrimental effects these products cause. Why won't the government and society apply the same standard to another deadly product, and outlaw its use as well?
History repeats itself when we don't learn from it, and the history of cigarette use is repeating itself in new generations. Cigarettes are no longer the choice of the rich and affluent. Rather the poor and lower class choose to use cigarettes. Today, just as in colonial times, the cigarettes make money for those who produce them, and create even more revenue for the government which taxes their sale and distribution. Just as the poor produced the products on plantations, and wealthy land owners amassed fortunes at their expense, today government and corporations amass fortunes of the poor who still chose to enjoy a dangerous, legal product. Again I ask, shouldn't a government which seeks to be just, and watch over the welfare of its citizens outlaw a proven dangerous product?
This, in turn, will also affect the overall economic situation of the country. A particular country's condition will also affect its neighboring country, hence, everyone is the world is affected. Usually, children are the common victims of the adverse effects of tobacco. Babies of smokers have greater chances of being born pre-maturely or having low birth weight. Moreover, secondhand smoke can trigger sudden infant death syndromes. Cigarette smoke can also
Today, each country implements the quotas it finds most suitable, leading as such to major fluctuations in the taxes, their percentage in the price and the final retail price. The federal authorities generally explain the high cigarette taxes as a means of reducing the consumption of cigarette, with the ultimate aim of reducing the number of smokers and protecting the health of the individuals. Nevertheless, fact remains that the fares
.." (Fleenor, nd) it is related that it did not take long for this to spread into other U.S. states with trucks all around the United States being hijacked and robbed of their cigarette cargo. The following tables lists the state excise tax rates on cigarettes for January 1, 2007. State Excise Tax Rates on Cigarettes (January 1, 2007 TAX RATE per pack) RANK STATE TAX RATE CENT PER PACK Alabama (1) Nebraska Alaska (3) Nevada Arizona New Hampshire Arkansas New Jersey California New Mexico Colorado New York
Cigarettes Why do people smoke? All of know that smoking is a dangerous, even potentially lethal habit - and one moreover that now carries an increasing weight of social stigma. And yet still people do it. There must therefore be compelling reasons why people should endanger their health to such a degree and the most obvious of these reasons is the one that smokers themselves offer up the most often: Smoking
When in adulthood, people start smoking because of different reasons, mainly because they encounter various problems in their lives. Smoking is commonly identified as a solution to stress, and, people get a feeling of relaxation after smoking. People that smoke are normally thinner than those that don't, and, accordingly, some overweight persons might take up smoking in hope that it would make them slim. Tobacco smoking reduces appetite and people's
Cigarette Advertising Campaign If we look at the case of Mary and RJR there is a contract formed between them for Mary to undertake a year long advertising campaign to present the companies cigarettes in a positive light, her remuneration was to be 25% of the increase in sales that the campaign created. It was also recognised that this was a very vague amount, and may be difficult to assess, as