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Ethical Justification for E Cigarettes

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Ethical Justification for E Cigarettes

Cigarette smoking is one of the most common habits among drug users globally. Over

32% of the global population smoked cigarettes, either habitually or occasionally. There is no

data available for passive smokers. Indeed, people who use other drugs and substances also

smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking has adverse effects on human health both direct and passive

smokers. Smoking causes cancer, diabetes, heart and lung diseases and stroke (Who.org, 2022).

An approximated 7 million people die from the effects of smoking, with 1.2 million of these

being passive smokers (Who.org, 2022). Cigarette smoke also has harmful impacts on the

environment as it contains greenhouse gases that enhance global warming. While a from a single

cigarette may not have tangible effects on the environment, smoke from many cigarettes

combined might cause significant damage. Electronic cigarettes, known as e cigarettes, however,

seem to solve these challenges as they have minimum effects on passive smokers and the

environment. Although e cigarettes remain harmful to their users' health, an ethical argument can

be made that they are better compared to traditional cigarettes through consequentialist ethics.

Ethics are the moral principles that govern an individual's behavior and their undertaking

of different activities within their daily life. There are numerous schools of thought that seek to

define ethics and the factors that govern them in human society. The leading schools are

utilitarian and deontological ethics. All these consider the tenets of right, wrong and duty. Each

hold different views as to what consists ethical behavior and the factors that an individual should

consider when making a decision to determine of its ethical or not. The predominant belief in all

theories is that all action and behavior should seek to prevent harm or cause the least possible
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harm on individuals and in society. Thus, by this position, all smoking, whether traditional or

electronic, is unethical as it causes harm to the smoker. However, as in all ethical matters, there

are many factors to consider beyond the extent of harm that e cigarettes may cause to the

individual.

An important factor to note is that cigarettes smoking is one of the most addictive

behaviors and the hardest to beat. Cigarette smoke has nicotine which is a highly addictive

substance and a potent brain stimulant. Cigarette smoking also has psychological connotations as

it is associated with anxiety and stress relief. Despite extensive global campaigns that have

drastically reduced the number of smoker globally since the late 20th century, cigarette smoking

remains one of the most common forms of substance abuse. Thus, to argue that the most ethical

action would be to not smoke would be unrealistic. Arguments must be premised on the

assumption that the subject is addicted to cigarette smoking and seek to determine whether e

cigarettes would be a better alternative.

The utilitarian school of thought holds that the most ethical action is that which causes

the most good to the most number of people, and the least harm overall. The utilitarian point of

view is that the ethics of an action is not determined by whether it is right or wrong, but rather by

its outcomes (Eggleston, 2022). If an action causes positive outcomes to a large number of

people with the least harm or no harm whatsoever, that action would be considered ethical by the

utilitarian view. By that premise, therefore, whether cigarette smoking is good or bad becomes

inconsequential, with the main consideration becoming to gain the most gratification from the

action and cause the least harm possible. Traditional smoking, as aforementioned, has adverse

health impacts on both the smoker and the non-smoker, as well as environmental impacts. The
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alternative, however, presents less negative effects on third parties such as passive smokers and

the environment. E cigarettes, on the other hand, do lot have direct health effects on third parties

such as passive smokers as all the harmful elements are inhaled by the smoker. E cigarettes do

not have tar and carbon monoxide, which are the two most harmful substances found in

traditional cigarettes (Franck et al., 2016). Thus, their smoke does not have adverse effects on the

environment as they do not emit greenhouse gases. E cigarette smoke contains nicotine and other

chemicals that do not have effects on the environment as adverse as carbon monoxide. E

cigarettes have been proven to help reduce smoking among smokers, although it increases the

risk of smoking among non-smokers. By a utilitarian view, therefore, e cigarettes are ethically

justifiable as it reduces the harm caused by traditional cigarettes both on the individual and the

environment, therefore increasing the good.

The deontological school of thought holds that the ethics of an action is determined on

whether it is right or wrong. The deontological view is attributed to German philosopher

Emanuel Kant who held a strong view on the duty of an individual to self, to others and to

society (Schroth, 2019). Thus, an individual has a duty to do the right thing for themselves, for

others and for society, regardless of outcomes. Every society has a set of norms, traditions and

values that govern communal behavior and set expectations for each individual. Regardless of

whether they gain gratification from their actions or not, individuals are expected to take actions

that align with the social norms and the tenets of good. Smoking is wrong in the spectrum of

right and wrong as it posses a health hazard for the smoker and others around them, as well as

causing harm to the environment. The primary role of the individual is to do what is right for

themselves. However, e cigarettes have been proven to help smokers stop the habit. They have

minimal impacts on passive smokers and on the environment. Thus, e cigarettes are a step
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towards doing right by the agent, giving them ethical justification by the deontological view. E

cigarettes, viewed from that perspective, are a way of an individual who has done wrong seeking

ways to do right and abide by their duty in society. Thus, by the two main schools of thought,

electrical cigarettes hold an ethical justification, especially when examined in comparison with

traditional cigarettes.

References

Eggleston, B. (2022). Utilitarianism. Philosophy. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780195396577-

0431

Franck, C., Filion, K. B., Kimmelman, J., Grad, R., & Eisenberg, M. J. (2016). Ethical

considerations of e-cigarette use for tobacco harm reduction. Respiratory Research, 17(1).

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-016-0370-3

Schroth, J. (2019). Ethical deontology. Philosophy. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780195396577-

0383

Who.org. (2022, May 24). Tobacco. World Health Organization. Retrieved March 10, 2023,

from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco