Would you work for a Tobacco Company?

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Posted by Michael White on Jan 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment

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This question is a cliché for anybody introduced to Public Relations and ethics. On a couple of occasions I have been asked but I have never had a defiant response. Let me explain why…

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A couple of weeks ago for my birthday a friend of mine bought me the film, ‘Thank You for Smoking’. Originally a novel by Christopher Buckley which follows a lobbyist, called Nick Naylor, who works for the Academy of Tobacco Studies. If you haven’t watched the film then I definitely recommend it. As for me, I’m going to try and find the time to read the book.

Potentially this could be a very simple question to answer. It is the cognitive processes through which offers the difficulty. We have to understand that there will always be a demand for tobacco, people need to make their own choices but that smoking seriously damages your health. Perhaps the only people who can justify working for tobacco companies are smokers. Yet, I smoke (admittedly not nearly as much) but still find my conscience battling against my habit.

Do tobacco companies offer a positive service for society or are they fuelling a product which the majority would chose to abandon?

Currently I am undecided and this question is for you. Would you work for a tobacco company?

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Tags: Career, Ethics, Tobacco

http://www.paydayfinancial.co.uk john

I don’t smoke and can’t stand to feel to smoke of a cigar, but as you said, tobacco companies offer something that some people want (or need as they think) and it is perfectly normal to offer something if people want it, no? Regarding the question I answered maybe because it all depends on what would I have to do and how much would I be paid.
Diana

I would. I am seriously thinking about working for a tobacco company and I’ve never smoked in my life. I think it makes it easier for you to work for them if you don’t have any attachment to the product itself.

http://twitter.com/michaelwhite1 Michael White

No doubt a controversial decision but as a smoker myself (albeit regrettably) I completely understand that the industry still needs to spin. Ultimately many do die from smoking related diseases. This is a personal decision though and for that I respect your comment.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IGD6SBWEKSZQKT2GJXEJCGH4BE Lonson Ricardo

If they would offer me a good monthly check why not. They are just like any other companies. Basically you have a choice. You can choose to smoke or not to smoke. You ca choose or not to eat at Mcdonalds. Nobody is forcing you. Unibet
Giorgio

“Perhaps the only people who can justify working for tobacco companies are smokers”.
Let me argue against this urban legend.
I worked for both Nestlé and PMI. Same accountants, same HR people, same proportion of smokers…. In these FMCG businesses, you will find similar people looking for good career opportunities at a top employer. Those working in the tobacco businesses are showing good work ethics. Anyways, apart from marketeers, most of the employees evolve in a standard corporate environment disconnected from the product.

I would have no problem working again for a tobacco company. Nowadays, lots of jobs are in the field of harm reduction and research. They know that they need these investments to keep their business sustainable.Does this make it more acceptable from a so called “ethical” point of view ?
Patnurse

I don’t regret being a lifelong smoker. I know the risks of active smoking. It is my choice whether I continue or not. Tobacco companies are just the same as other companies and there are many more less moral in their dealings. I would not, however, work for the anti-smoker industry which is worth more than tobacco companies and is far more deceitful and immoral. Promoting tobacco products to people who want them is not a crime nor is it immoral. Tobacco is a legal product and in an age of equality, tobacco manufacturers should be treated the same as any other legal business. There are age restrictions on smoking and tobacco companies are very restricted ion how they market their product. Forcing people who like smoking to quit via the immoral denormalisation program is obscene.

Would you work for a Tobacco Company?

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