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Should tobacco companies be held responsible for smoking related illnesses and death?

In modern society individuals use blame as a tool to acquire multiple objectives. These objectives range from money to fame. There have been multiple occurrences of this throughout history, and there will be more in the future. Morals were once seen as a necessity, but now they are recognized as a lost object in this now gloomy world; the same world in which many things were possible. One had the ability to feel secure when starting a small business or even a franchise. Then an individual acted upon his/her crude impulse and sued a company for his/her own mistake. When another individual acknowledged the actions exemplified he/she assumed the actions were generally okay, due to the standard morals during the era. Due to this, the actions spread like a fire through a dry forest floor. Individuals now often put guilt above responsibility. Companies now have to apply warnings and guidance to the products, such as tobacco. There are also multiple illnesses related to smoking that individuals grasp for a reason to sue the tobacco company.
Multiple individuals use blame to escape their actions. Though this responsibility is not acknowledged. By not acknowledging this they lower their standards if any were previously present. The main action being implied is the use of tobacco. An individual takes it upon himself/herself to use tobacco, but when it is time to take responsibility he/she blames the company. The company merely distributes the product to the public. The company does not force the individual who smokes to smoke. Yet, the company gets the blame. Have the morals of society lowered to such an extent that they are not present, or is the presence so scarcely admired that morals are taken for granted? Apparently morals have disappeared from society as a whole. When the consequences of an individualâs actions finally occur the guilt sets in and the individual takes it upon himself/herself to sue the company that merely distributed the product. The individual sues the company without recognizing the guidance given. This guidance is the guidance that is given to the individual on every packet of cigarettes.
Guidance is a large part of the modern tobacco industry. The guidance varies. Multiple cigarette packets have a booklet on how to quit smoking. While others have comments such as âConsult a Doctor or Physician.â Plans to quit smoking are also provided. They vary from Nicorette to Habitrol. Both of these options are gum products. Patches are also an option; they come in a large variety. Many tobacco companies also use the television to sell their product, just as other companies do. Commercials are one of the best ways to relate a product to the general population. Commercials are also an easy way to reveal how harmful tobacco is. Multiple commercials relate this image, and tobacco commercials have a statement with in the commercial stating that smoking is bad for you. Commercials may be an easy way to relate the imagery, but it has not always been that easy. Tobacco has been around longer than the television. Tobacco has been a cash crop since the early 1900âs. The individuals who first smoked tobacco knew nothing of its harmful effects. However, in modern society multiple warnings are given that show how harmful it can be to an individualâs health. In 2008 there was an agreement signed stating that every cigarette packet must have a warning of some kind. These warnings come in all varieties. Some state smoking is harmful to your health; while others merely tell of how it is a bad habit that causes horrid breathe. These warnings are meant to relate to the smoker that smoking can be harmful, but many under mind the warnings and guidance. When an individual buys a packet of cigarettes he/she has the ability to read the warning. If he/she has not obtained the ability to read, then he/she has the ability to get another individual to read the warning. Either way he/she knows that his/her actions will have consequences in the future. The illnesses the individual often has or acquires can be caused by multiple sources; many of which have nothing to do with smoking.
The individual has the ability to acquire smoking related illnesses without smoking at all. The illnesses are smoking related; not always caused by smoking. The individual just chooses to blame his/her illness on smoking. This task is easy to achieve due to the illnesses being common among long term smokers. One illness related to smoking is heart disease. This disease can be caused by multiple other sources. These sources range from heredity to laziness. Physical inactivity is a major cause of heart disease. When an individual does not get enough exercise their arteries get clotted with fatty deposits, which decreases the heart rate and the flow of blood (Boughton). This often leads to the individual gaining weight, which may cause him/her to be overweight and or obese. The inactivity often will lead to another smoking related illness known as a stroke. Strokes often can cause major health problems such as a blockage in blood flow. The blood vessel will break and this will lead to bleeding in the brain which has a large probability of causing major damage to the individualâs health. Alcohol intake and cocaine can also cause a stroke. Drugs can cause catastrophic damage to an individualâs health. Some drugs are often the cause of cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is another form of a heart attack. Stress plays a large role when dealing with smoking related diseases. Stress can be caused by multiple things, and it can cause multiple things. Radon exposure can cause stress, and it causes lung cancer. Lung cancer has a probability of starting when an individual is exposed to radon or asbestos. The lungs are very susceptible to chemical agents. Common house hold agents have the ability to cause irritation to the lungs. Car exhaust also has the same effect as smoking a few cigarettes. The irritation can eventually cause cancer (Polsdorfer and Odle). When an individual is stressed he/she often helps in the community through services, or even by playing a small role such as not polluting. This helps with self esteem. Most smoking related illnesses have common factors. Factors can range from something small to something large. High cholesterol and high blood pressure are sure causes of smoking related illnesses. High blood pressure can be caused by eating salt, birth control pills, and inactivity. Birth control pills are used to make sure a female does not get impregnated, but the pills are damaging the body the whole time. This can be prevented by the individual. These are voluntary factors. There are also multiple caused that cannot be determined by the individual, these are known as involuntary factors. This includes race, age, gender, and heredity. Socioeconomic status also plays a role in high blood pressure. When an individual thrives so hard to achieve a certain desired status he/she forms a need for this desired item. When he/she achieves the goal he/she will have to maintain the acquired goal. If he/she does not acquire the goal then the stress can lead to a smoking related illness, and the maintaining of the goal may also lead to stress.
In conclusion, an individual should take responsibility for his/her actions. When one places guilt above responsibility the remaining morals of society are lowered to yet another standard. There are multiple cases of warnings and guidance given to the individual stating how harmful smoking can be to his/her health. The warnings range from commercials to a cigarette packet. Through all this the individual still has the audacity to blame the company for his/her own mistakes. Often the individual will use tactics such as using his/her illnesses, due to other factors, to further put the blame on the company. Multiple illnesses that are associated with smoking are often caused by other sources. This allows an individual to use them as a scape goat for their cause. When an individual stoops this low to sue a company for his/her mistakes he/she lowers the standards of society.