Abstract
Smokers and nonsmokers possess equal rights but those rights conflict with each other in the use of shared facilities. Medical research has established that smoking harms not only those who use the product but also those who are passively exposed to it. Laws and private regulation of smoking in shared facilities have resulted in the segregation of smokers from nonsmokers to an outright ban of tobacco use. Such controls have provided unsatisfactory results to both groups. An acceptable ethical solution, based on reduction of harm and compensation, can be derived by applying Moral Audit principles, supported by economic analysis, which does not unduly curtail the rights of both parties as to the use of tobacco products.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chaloupka, F. J. and H. Saffer: 1992, 'Clean Indoor Air Laws and the Demand for Cigarettes', Contemporary Policy Issues 10, 72–83.
Coase, R.: 1960, 'The Problem of Social Cost', Journal of Law and Economics 3, 1–44.
DeGeorge, R. T.: 1990, Business Ethics (3rd ed.) (Macmillan, New York).
Griffin, R. C.: 1991, 'The Welfare Analytics of Transaction Costs, Externalities, and Institutional Choice', American Journal of Agricultural Economics 601.
Kant, I.: 1969, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals (Bobbs Merrill, Indianapolis, IN).
Mill, J. S.: 1957, Utilitarianism (The Liberal Arts Press, New York).
Ostapski, S. A.: 1992, 'The Moral Audit', Business & Economic Review, 17–20.
Ostapski, S. A. and D. G. Pressley: 'Moral Aduit for Diabco Corporation', Journal of Business Ethics 11, 71–80.
Rawls, J.: 1971, A Theory of Justice (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA).
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: 1986, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General (Author, Rockville, MD).
Wasserman, J., W. G. Manning, J. P. Newhouse and J. D. Winkler: 1991, 'The Effects of Excise Taxes and Regulations on Cigarette Smoking', Journal of Health Economics 10, 43–64.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ostapski, S.A., Plumly, L.W. & Love, J.L. The Ethical and Economic Implications of Smoking in Enclosed Public Facilities: A Resolution of Conflicting Rights. Journal of Business Ethics 16, 377–384 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017997407910
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017997407910