THETOBACCOEXPERIENCE

PHI 203LOGIC AND ETHICS

BONAGUACAPANANGEGUILLON

GABISPUNONGBAYAN

REYESSANTOS

TADLE

KhatrinaMarck LouiseFreciloPrincess MayAnjelicaMichelleCiara GraceChristian Emmanuel

TOBACCO

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Plant grown commercially for its leaves and stems, which are rolled into cigars, shredded for use in cigarettes and pipes, processed for chewing, or ground into snuff, a fine powder that is inhaled through the.

SMOKINGInhalation and exhalation of the fumes of burning tobacco.

TOBACCO EXPERIENCE

CIGARETTE

PLEASUR

TISFACTION

S

RELAX

NG

ADD

CTING

STICK- HIN

HROIND LICIOUS

ICOTINE

CRAVIN

ETHICAL ISSUESIN TOBACCO INDUSTRY

The industry of tobacco provides a classic setting to the study of ethics. Though legal, elements have been subjected to intense public discussion.

In the tobacco industry, consumers may include children, adolescents, and lover and less educated consumers.

Cigarettes are considered harmful adult product because of its potential to cause physical or psychological harm.

Other issues that concerned the public are health problems, addiction and consumption of under-aged consumers.

$ 157 billion was the estimated economic costs associated with smoking.

-(Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2002)

Despite of smoking’s bad effects, manufacturers continue to produce and sell the what-is-known-as deadly goods.

PUFFING PHILIPPINES HISTORY/

FACTS• 16th century – Smoking began in America

and spread to Europe.

• 19th century – Mass productions of cigarettes began.

• PHILIPPINES is known to be tobacco’s 15th biggest consumer in the world. The largest consumer among the ASEAN. (WHO, 2002)

• 17 million adult Filipinos smoke (GATS, 2009)

• Filipino children as young as 5 years old are already starting to smoke (Dept. of Health Research)

HAVE A LIGHT?Given the facts, indeed, Philippines is under the

smoking spell. WHAT MUST BE DONE?

The best thing to do is TO SHOW, not just TELL people that tobacco smoking is a wrong action, though it is an individual choice, yet society has the right to act on its own behalf.

HEDONISM“Good or right is something which should

involve pleasure, happiness, and excellence which leads to harmony and creativity; whereas something is bad or wrong if it entails pain, unhappiness, and lack of excellence, which leads to disharmony and lack of creativity.”

Tobacco smoking is a wrong action for even if it involves happiness-pleasure from its seemingly relaxing effects-it is just for a short period only, plus, not everything that brings someone pleasure is necessary good.

REMEMBER: “Something that is good must bring about a harmonious integration of as many human beings as possible.”

“Everyone should perform that act or follow a moral rule that will bring about the greatest good (or happiness) for everyone concerned.”

-Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism

With utilitarianism, we believe, that once a tobacco cigarette is breathed in, the life of the doer of the action, and everyone around him/her is inevitably, at risk.

WHY IS THAT SO?

SUPPORT• First and foremost, the hazards of tobacco

smoking and second-hand smoking is not new to our eyes and ears.• Lung cancer• Chronic Arthritis• Emphysema• Diseases of arteries and heart.

• Responsible for ten Filipinos who die every hour and the country loses of P500 billion annually from healthcare costs and productivity losses according to the Dept. of Health.

• Passive smokers are perhaps three times more likely to die of than they would otherwise.Where is the “greatest good for the greatest number” here?

EFFORTS OF LAWMAKERS

Efforts to educate the public have concentrated on presenting negative images, regulating the advertising of cigarettes, limiting the public spaces in which smoking is permitted, and increasing the cost of cigarettes by taxation.• Comprehensive Tobacco Regulation Act• Republic Act 9211

THE BLACK AND WHITE

Claims of Tobacco companies that increasing taxes would hurt tobacco farmers and lead to the loss of livelihood.

But then, Comprehensive Tobacco Regulation Act provides that “Filipino tobacco farmers shall be assisted and encouraged to cultivate food crops and other agricultural products.”

THE BLACK AND WHITE

According to article, Does Cigarette Smoking Causes Stress, smokers say that cigarettes help relieve feeling of stress.

However, the stress levels of adult smokers are slightly higher than those of nonsmokers, adolescent smokers report increasing levels of stress as they develop regular patterns of smoking, and smoking sensation leads to reduced stress. Nicotine dependency seems to exacerbate stress.

This just means that, once again, the pleasure and happiness brought by tobacco smoking is short – term, for afterwards, the “good” that is within the cigarette is replaced by the “bad”.

Lastly, it was cited in 2006 study of WHO, DOH, UP-Manila and Philippine College of Medical Researchers Foundation that the government’s “economic costs, including expenses for health care and costs of productivity losses,” reached P461 billion.

PUT OUT THE FIREThe mentioned pieces of evidence show

that tobacco smoking is indeed a wrong action. Utilitarianism shows us that the greatest good must not be just about one’s self-interest, but it must be the interests of everyone concerned.

Speaking of people, of lives, now we see that health is the major factor why we consider smoking as a wrong action.

Tobacco smoking doesn’t just affect the smoker, but even those who doesn’t smoke. We must put out the fire before it puts us out.