Volconvo Debate Forums - View Single Post - Should tobacco companies be allowed to give free cigarettes to children?

Aug 10, 2007, 05:47 pm

A number of Volconvoites took exception to me asking if movies that portrayed smoking should be given an NC-17 rating to protect young people from the influence that movies have on encouraging young people to take up smoking. An influence that is well-documented and well-researched.

The vitriol was not unexpected and based on the notion that kids shouldn't receive any special protections but that they should learn from their mistakes, or their parents should protect them, or words and notions to that effect. At any rate, neither the government nor any organization of liberals should have any say in the matter.

So let's try another tack. In the interests of freedom, liberty, free markets, personal responsibility, capitalism, yada, yada, yada, should tobacco companies be allowed to give kids--say 5 or 6 year olds--free cigarettes in order to addict them to nicotine at an early age, so that they will become lifelong (albeit short lived) customers?

If not, why not? And if so, why?

Regards
S.

Aug 10, 2007, 05:47 pm	#1 (permalink) (top)
sdbest Guest Posts: n/a	Should tobacco companies be allowed to give free cigarettes to children? A number of Volconvoites took exception to me asking if movies that portrayed smoking should be given an NC-17 rating to protect young people from the influence that movies have on encouraging young people to take up smoking. An influence that is well-documented and well-researched. The vitriol was not unexpected and based on the notion that kids shouldn't receive any special protections but that they should learn from their mistakes, or their parents should protect them, or words and notions to that effect. At any rate, neither the government nor any organization of liberals should have any say in the matter. So let's try another tack. In the interests of freedom, liberty, free markets, personal responsibility, capitalism, yada, yada, yada, should tobacco companies be allowed to give kids--say 5 or 6 year olds--free cigarettes in order to addict them to nicotine at an early age, so that they will become lifelong (albeit short lived) customers? If not, why not? And if so, why? Regards S.