The tobacco industry makes billions of dollars from selling a major
cancer causing product. Furthermore, the government makes additional
billions from taxes on tobacco products. If there was ever a case where
money was going to hide the facts about a product then this would be it.
But has that happened? No. In Australia, cigarette boxes are
covered with warnings like “Smoking Kills”and “Smoking is addictive” and
advertising of tobacco products is totally banned. In fact the
government spends millions of dollars educating the population about the
dangers of smoking.
There is evidence that initial research performed by tobacco
companies was suppressed, so indeed these companies have certainly acted
unethically and immorally. But despite the fact that these businesses
and the government make billions out of the industry, the truth was not
suppressed for long. If anything, this case demonstrates that even when
both big business and government have vast financial interests in hiding
the truth, it simply can't be done.
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