The Tobacco Deal

Case Analysis:   The Tobacco Deal
"Tobacco has been used as a medical plant, as well as for ritual and pleasure –
and the tobacco plant has been viewed as both work of the Devil and as God's gift to man." (http://www.st.dk/sw182.asp). It is estimated that thousands of Americans die each year from diseases related to smoking (http://www.bbc.co.uk.).   One of the biggest contradictions in the tobacco industry is that cigarette companies are spending millions of dollars on anti-smoking advertisings. Nevertheless, the people had been deceived and lied to for decades. Despite scientific evidence, the Tobacco Committee concealed the evidence in order to promote and prosper in the tobacco selling industry. Both smoking and anti-smoking lobbyists launched legal and public relation campaigns to reach positive results for the tobacco consumers, who had filed complaints against the tobacco companies. Throughout history, independent consultants had filed hundreds of lawsuits against the Tobacco Companies, loosing one case after another, and eventually in 1996, the final settlement was reached (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/settlement/).
The purpose of the "Tobacco deal" was to make people aware of the health related risks involved in smoking cigarettes and to make the tobacco industry pay for misinforming the public. Based on documentaries reported on the Internet, the case study below will elaborate on the data investigating, and the various aspects of the Tobacco deal such as the political involvement, economic and health effects the settlement, and the effectiveness of the agreement.
History
In the early 1950s, scientific studies reported the side effects of tobacco and the health related issues of people around the world. The evidence exposed documents that contained information showing the direct relation of tobacco, cancer, and fetal illnesses with cigarettes. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/settlement/big/). Upon learning of such... [continues]

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