Health warnings on tobacco products: absolving the profiteer, punishing the victim: the ethics of australian legislation

Abstract

In recent years, health warnings on tobacco products have become compulsory through legislation introduced by the Australian government. This approach shows a lack of concern for tobacco consumers while allowing government to abdicate responsibility without jeopardising profit. The decision to warn people of inevitable addiction and disease (while protecting those who profit from such sales) fails to recognise previous research into adolescent attraction to deviance and the role of suggestion in cure and illness. The Australian government makes millions of dollars each year by taxing tobacco products—as long as these profits continue to be directed almost exclusively into consolidated revenue, smokers will remain victims of a system unconcerned with exploitation.

A version of this paper was presented at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Australian Association for Applied Ethics (1996).