comments about my cigarette essays

surfer comment
>I agree with the statement that people should stop blaming the
> cigarette companies for there bad habits.

my reply
agreed

surfer comment
>With that said all corporations have an obligation to be truthful about
>what they sell. Most cigarette companies are now doing this.

my reply
They had big warnings on every package. Also, inhaling smoke being bad for you is common sense that everyone knew. It is not the cigarette companies responsibility to advertise negatives about its product. And even if they did (as they do now) I strongly recommned independent research from a less biased perspective. Would you ask the NY Mets manager who the best baseball team is?

surfer comment
>What I
> do not agree with about is that kids know what they are doing. While kids
> do know and are taught that cigarettes are bad. Kids do not process
> information the same as adults. The brains just do not work the same as an
> adult. As a young teen I did smoke t
> o fit in. I didn't like it much and quit before it bit me. I was still in
> high school.

my reply
You knew it was bad for you, but you choose to fit in. That was your bad decision that you made. You also knew they were addictive. Fortunately you stopped, but your starting and stop was more a result of your school, friends, and parents than it was the fault of any corporate advertising conspiracy.

surfer comment
>Another thing you are failing to notice that a person who is an addict.
>Regardless if it is a cigarette, alcohol, gambling ext...... have a
>different body chemistry th
> en those of us who don't become addict to things.

my reply
Addiction changes your body chemistry to crave those chemicals. So what?

surfer comment
> They are physicalogically different.

my reply
A person who is addicted to cigs has a different chemical balance than someone who isn't. but that is not inborn, it is a result of behaviour.

surfer comment
>Now it is not the cigarette companies fault that they are addicted but they
>should take some of the responsiblity because they sell a very addictive
>substance.

my reply
Cigarettes are an addictive legal substance. If society wants to stop it, we have to make it illegal. Otherwise it is individuals or health companies who have to deal with the problems. It is not McDonalds responsibility to make sure people dont' get fat. It is not Las Vegas responsibility to make sure people manage money properly, and it is not starbucks responsibility to stop people from buying its addictive unhealthy product - coffee.

surfer comment
>I don't
> believe those who smoke should get large sums of money to hand to their
> families when they die of cancer but they should sponsor stop smoking
> clinics to help those who really want to quit and can't.

my reply
I have nothing against clinics or supporting clinics.
Thanks for the feedback. Well written!!