After determining the action to be evaluated, the next step is to determine the people and groups, that is, the stakeholders or constituent groups, affected by the action. In the context herein, the action is: “Are e-cigarettes moral? This section will designate the affected stakeholders, to wit:
a).Smokers.
Presently, more than 40 million people in the United States are smokers; and smoking is the leading preventable cause of death. Since the e-cigarette is a smokeless, but nicotine-filled, electronic cigarette a growing number of people may be using them to try to help them quit smoking “real” cigarette. E-cigarettes are certainly safer than traditional cigarettes. Like tobacco smoke, the vapor can be inhaled and exhaled, …show more content…
As such, for smokers who want to continue to smoke, but who want to avoid bans on smoking in public or smoking restrictions on company premises or restaurants, the e-cigarette may fulfill that need and desire. Another benefit for smokers, at least according to the e-cigarette industry, is that the cost of using their product is less expensive than the cost of regular cigarettes in the long-run on a “cost-per-puff” basis. One reason is taxation. Nicotine cartridges are also exempt from tobacco taxes, which make up a large part of the retail cost of a traditional cigarette, and thus the price of an e-cigarette is more competitive with traditional tobacco products. E-cigarettes can also be shipped to one’s home, as opposed to traditional tobacco cigarettes, which are not legally allowed to be sent to the …show more content…
To illustrate the marketing concerns, critics point to e-cigarette marketing campaigns where popular celebrities are used to promote the product, for example, rapper Chris Brown and pop singer Sevyn Streeter. Further, both of the aforementioned celebrities were featured in a music video which included a product placement of an e-cigarette. It was explained that young people are easily influenced, especially by glamorous actors and celebrities, when it comes to picking up habits, such as smoking, and consequently these famous people should exercise a degree of social responsibility and not promote products that could be dangerous, especially to young