At 02:05 PM 3/1/98 -0500, Frank Cross wrote:
>I am writing to agree with Bruce on the importance of distinguishing
>law and ethics.  I have written in the ABLJ that the conflation of the
>two is destructive to both.  But I am not quite as gloomy as Bruce
>about the demise of ethics.  I agree that in certain circumstances,
>such as politics (fund raising) and sports (Miami Heat), compliance
>with the law is confused with being ethical.  But I don't think this
>is universally true.  Business ethics texts have plenty of examples
>to the contrary.  E.g., tobacco industry advertising aimed at minors
>was legal but is plainly considered by the public to be unethical.
>(Newt Gingrich just condemned it.)
 
I must disagree that tobacco advertising aimed at minors is legal.  To the
contrary, I think it clearly violates the letter of the Unfair and Deceptive
Trade Practices Acts (or similarly named statutes) of most states.
 
But this aside, I would be very interested to hear, in your opinion, what it
is about  tobacco advertising that causes "the public" to consider it to be
unethical.
 
 
Kent Schenkel
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
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