Would you work for a Tobacco Company?
Would you work for a Tobacco Company?
- No (44%, 4 Votes)
- Maybe (33%, 3 Votes)
- Yes (23%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 9
Loading ...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…
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?
Posted: January 27th, 2010 under Ethical Issues, Public Relations.
Comment from john
February 8, 2010 at 8:43 pm
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.