Allan Brandt talks about the rise of cigarettes
by Anya Bergman
News | 11/20/07
Posted online at 9:47 PM EST on 11/19/07
/ Last updated at 7:33 PM EST on 11/19/07
Brandt's last question asked, "Who is responsible when someone gets sick from cigarette smoke?"
He said that the tobacco companies typically claim that they can't be blamed because cigarette consumers are knowingly taking a risk. Brandt said this is not a valid assertion because of the industry's knowledge about secondhand smoke, and how tobacco companies now works hard to appeal to kids through advertising and can even manipulate the quantity of nicotine in cigarettes to make it more addictive.
Brandt explained that for these reasons, the tobacco industry has "undermined the notions of individual responsibility." He said society continues to stigmatize smokers and blame lung cancer patients for smoking, but that this blame is misplaced.
Brandt concluded by saying that in our globalized world, tobacco companies have begun to reach out to countries in the developing world to boost their cigarette sales as people continue to quit smoking in the United States.
When asked by an audience member how he could seem optimistic about the situation, Brandt said, "This is a public health catastrophe," but explained that the more we understand about the dangers of smoking, the more we will generate the political and social efforts to make a difference.
"[Brandt] very brilliantly articulated from an interdisciplinary perspective the psychology and sociology of a major health epidemic," said Sarah Brin '08, an audience member.
Whitfield agreed, saying: "Prof. Brandt has written a remarkable book on the horrific consequences of an utterly unregulated, dangerous product that no citizen ought to ignore, given the lethal effects of cigarette smoking. Students will be living in a world in which, as Prof. Brandt predicted, deaths due to smoking-related diseases will be tragically increased in the future."
He said that the tobacco companies typically claim that they can't be blamed because cigarette consumers are knowingly taking a risk. Brandt said this is not a valid assertion because of the industry's knowledge about secondhand smoke, and how tobacco companies now works hard to appeal to kids through advertising and can even manipulate the quantity of nicotine in cigarettes to make it more addictive.
Brandt explained that for these reasons, the tobacco industry has "undermined the notions of individual responsibility." He said society continues to stigmatize smokers and blame lung cancer patients for smoking, but that this blame is misplaced.
Brandt concluded by saying that in our globalized world, tobacco companies have begun to reach out to countries in the developing world to boost their cigarette sales as people continue to quit smoking in the United States.
When asked by an audience member how he could seem optimistic about the situation, Brandt said, "This is a public health catastrophe," but explained that the more we understand about the dangers of smoking, the more we will generate the political and social efforts to make a difference.
"[Brandt] very brilliantly articulated from an interdisciplinary perspective the psychology and sociology of a major health epidemic," said Sarah Brin '08, an audience member.
Whitfield agreed, saying: "Prof. Brandt has written a remarkable book on the horrific consequences of an utterly unregulated, dangerous product that no citizen ought to ignore, given the lethal effects of cigarette smoking. Students will be living in a world in which, as Prof. Brandt predicted, deaths due to smoking-related diseases will be tragically increased in the future."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Paul Trusten, R. Ph, "73
posted 11/20/07 @ 11:37 AM EST
I strongly disagree with Professor Brandt as to who is responsible
for smoking. I cannot escape the notion that no one can
successfully undermine personal responsibility except the
consumer. (Continued…)
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