Tobacco firms deflected blame by comparing cigarettes to unregulated addictive products

Evidence

In exoneration by advantageous comparison, tobacco is likened to other common consumer products. “The product is a ‘common consumer product intended for personal consumption, such as sugar, castor oil, alcohol, tobacco and butter” (British American Tobacco, 1987). Bennett and Di Lorenzo (1997) regard a host of substances people consume and activities they perform persistent-ly as addictions. “Many substances, including caffeine and alcohol, can produce physical or psychological dependence. ‘Chocoholics’ are ‘addicted’ to chocolate, and compulsive eaters are ‘addicted’ to food. Addiction can also arise from participating in physical activities… . But government does not attempt to regulate or ban most of these ‘addictive’ substances or activities” (Bennett & Di Lorenzo, 1997). The industry complained of being unfairly targeted because these other “addictive” products go unregulated. However, these activities do not contribute to about half a million early deaths annually with high costs to societies. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1647

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clear instance of Bandura’s exonerative advantageous comparison mechanism at work in real corporate discourse.
• SHARE: The British American Tobacco 1987 quote lumping tobacco with butter is a perfect rhetorical tidbit for someone studying corporate deflection.