Would you work for a tobacco company? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

CrazyCaper · 09-12-2008, 10:17 PM

Hi all,

I'm in need of some advice from the CP faithful...

I've recently begun looking for a new sales job and have been offered a very lucrative offer from a tobacco firm. I currently don't smoke(been smoke free for 7yrs), however, I believe in a person's right to choose.

I'm unsure on how to feel right now as I spoke with my wife and she didn't seem to keen on any possibility of me taking on this position. As well, I have two young children and my wife has indicated that she wouldn't be comfortable telling my son what daddy did for a living.

Any advice would be appreciated.

P.S. I've seen "Thank you for Smoking". One of my favorite movies of the past year.

Byrns · 09-12-2008, 10:19 PM

Go for it. Why should she be uncomfortable? It's not like you're filming porn. Cigs are legal and you have nothing to be guilty about.

Would your wife have a problem with you working for a brewery or distillery?

Hemi-Cuda · 09-12-2008, 10:22 PM

well do you want your kids to be smokers? i imagine when they realize that dad works for a tobacco company they'll be much more likely to try smoking

Kjesse · 09-12-2008, 10:23 PM

It is not immoral to work for a tobacco company. Though if you are really against smoking, maybe you shouldn't take the job. If its something that's going to make you feel bad over the long run, the money isn't worth it.

Also, if you're doing something that you think makes you a bad role model for your girls, well then maybe you shouldn't. Imagine if you found one of them at 16 with a pack of smokes in their room... and you punished them... then she comes back and says, "well you work for them, so don't yell at me"....

I see the dilemma here. Personally, I can't stand smoking. The smell, everything about it bugs me. But I wouldn't look down on someone who worked for the company. Everyone has to make a living and the product is legal.

The fact that you'd be in marketing though... maybe you aren't the right candidate?

Tyler · 09-12-2008, 10:24 PM

Yeah. Tough call. It puts food on the table, but you'll have a hard time not appearing like a hypocrite when you tell your kids not to smoke

Dion · 09-12-2008, 10:27 PM

I'm with your wife on this one and feel you would be making a choice that would make you a poor role model for your kids. I'm sure you're aware of the health hazards with smoking and all, but to take on a position with a tobaccoo firm would raise issues within the minds of your kids. Daddy works for a tobaccoo firm yet we have doctors and such saying the firm he works for produces products that kill people. That doesn't seem right daddy.

Slava · 09-12-2008, 10:28 PM

Personally I wouldn't. That surely doesn't make it wrong though, and if you can live with it than it shouldn't matter. I don't mean that to come off smug either...I just mean that there are a number of industries that I would not work in based on my own biases and thoughts.

Temporary_User · 09-12-2008, 10:31 PM

I love the movie "thank you for smoking"! IMO that would be an awesome job.
I would take the job, I don't know how old your kids are, but you could always quit before they get old enough and ask questions about what daddy does. Also, I mean come on, its not that bad of a job, I mean it isn't like you are a phone sex operator!
Go for it!

HOZ · 09-12-2008, 10:35 PM

If it is a career step up on the way to a better job I don't see why not. You would likely get a lot of good training that would lead to a even more lucrative job. Likey you would be there for 2-3 years and move on.

The wife will get over it when you buy her a new porche with Players written on it!

CrazyCaper · 09-12-2008, 10:36 PM

My kids are 3.5yrs & 1yrs old. I'm pretty sure my 3yr old knows what cigarettes are since we have some friends that smoke.

As a side note, I asked her if she'd have a problem with me working for a liquor distributor and she said no, not at all. Go figure. I wonder if Molson's is hiring..hehe

Byrns · 09-12-2008, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyCaper

My kids are 3.5yrs & 1yrs old. I'm pretty sure my 3yr old knows what cigarettes are since we have some friends that smoke.

As a side note, I asked her if she'd have a problem with me working for a liquor distributor and she said no, not at all. Go figure. I wonder if Molson's is hiring..hehe

I'm not understanding the double standard she has. Liquor to me is potentially worse than tobacco. (ie. Drunk driving, and alcoholism)

Rathji · 09-12-2008, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Byrns

I'm not understanding the double standard she has. Liquor to me is potentially worse than tobacco. (ie. Drunk driving, and alcoholism)

Tobacco is one of the only products that when used exactly as directed will kill you. Alchohol, while not being good for you by any stretch of the imagination is not nearly as bad unless it is used irresponsibly.

Kidder · 09-12-2008, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyCaper

I'm pretty sure my 3yr old knows what cigarettes are since we have some friends that smoke.

As a side note, I asked her if she'd have a problem with me working for a liquor distributor and she said no

I asked her if she wanted to eat, she said no. I asked her if she wanted to sleep, she said no. I asked her what she wanted to do. She said no. So now she's sweeping.

Or did you mean you asked your wife?

Dion · 09-12-2008, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Byrns

I'm not understanding the double standard she has. Liquor to me is potentially worse than tobacco. (ie. Drunk driving, and alcoholism)

There is no double standard. There is no safe way to smoke a cigarette as it will eventuly kill you. People can drink responsibly and refrain from driving while impaired.

jammies · 09-13-2008, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Byrns

Go for it. Why should she be uncomfortable? It's not like you're filming porn. Cigs are legal and you have nothing to be guilty about.

Uh, filming porn is legal too. So I guess, by your logic, if he'd been offered a job as a fluffer that should be a-ok with the wife as well, as long as it's "legal".

I wouldn't work for a tobacco company. Their products might not be illegal, but now that effects of tobacco are well-known, working for one of those companies could be viewed as immoral, as you are knowingly promoting products that cause addiction and death.

As far as "freedom of choice" goes, there is a vast difference between choosing to smoke and promoting cigarettes as a salesman. Like the difference between a drug dealer and a drug user; the penalties for being one or the other are disproportionate if caught because being a dealer is seen as actively promoting harm, as opposed to the user who is mostly affecting only him/herself.

Titan · 09-13-2008, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rathji

Tobacco is one of the only products that when used exactly as directed will kill you. Alchohol, while not being good for you by any stretch of the imagination is not nearly as bad unless it is used irresponsibly.

Very true.

Everything, if used wrong or abused can hurt or kill you. Cigarettes and guns are the only two things that when used as they are intended will kill you and likely anyone around you.

Ford Prefect · 09-13-2008, 10:58 PM

I don't see your dilemma as an issue of whether it's immoral or not to make a living marketing a product that can kill people and has a negative social/moral stigma attached to it. I think the bottom line is that your wife is opposed to the job, and it sounds like she is strongly opposed to it, therefore you should not accept the job. She obviously feels this way knowing how lucrative the offer is, so it has to be an important issue with her, and respecting your spouse's feelings when they're that strong has to take precedence.

Dion · 09-13-2008, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I don't see your dilemma as an issue of whether it's immoral or not to make a living marketing a product that can kill people and has a negative social/moral stigma attached to it. I think the bottom line is that your wife is opposed to the job, and it sounds like she is strongly opposed to it, therefore you should not accept the job. She obviously feels this way knowing how lucrative the offer is, so it has to be an important issue with her, and respecting your spouse's feelings when they're that strong has to take precedence.

Better to respect a spouses feelings as opposed to sleeping on the couch for an extended period of time and getting the slient treatment

habernac · 09-13-2008, 11:33 PM

cigarettes are the devil. I couldn't work for a tobacco company. The most difficult thing I've done in my life was to quit the vile weed.

GGG · 09-14-2008, 12:03 AM

The real comparison for cigarettes isn't alchohol as that can be used responsibly.

It is Gambling. If you Gamble a little you have a good time but lose money that could be better spent elsewhere. If you smoke a few cigarettes it isn't really good for you but the long term consequences are negligable. Both are highly addictive and taken to extremes are very very bad for you and destroy a lot of lies.

I don't understand the negativity surrounding working for a tobacco comapany. Most of us probably work for Dirty Oil, and not only oil companies but the dirtiest kind of oil in the world Tar Sands. These companies we all work for used the same lobiests that the cigarette companies used to disbute the health effects of smoking to dispute the effects of global warming. So before we condemn the the tobacco industry which very few of us work for lets look a little closer in our backyard.

Do I loose sleep over working for dirty oil? NO, it is up to the government to place fair regualtions that protect society and as long as the company i work for doesn't ask me to work around the regulations I can work for them

Smoking as it stands now with all of the new policies only effects those who choose to do it and everyperson who starts smoking now knows about the consequences of it. I don't understand how it could be considered Morally or Ethically wrong. It is simple freedom of choice.

My only caviet would be if you are in the marketing role and are asked to focus marketing at children Thank You for Smoking style then I would have concerns but if your marketing focuses on convincing smokers to smoke your brand over others or to get other adults to start smoking I would have no ethical problems with it.