Selling cigarettes

[EBC]

It’s hard to earn money nowadays. There’s a small canteen that besides selling food also selling cigarettes. It’s owner is a Catholic; and actually he scruples about this. He never smokes in his life. But the business is declining, and he feels that he is forced to do that.
What should he do?
What is church’s teaching about cigarettes and smoking?

 

[pjn6444]

The Church is not agaist cigarettes and smoking. The Church is against letting oneself become overly addicted to it. Like food or alcohol, they are not intrinsically wrong.

 

[Hastrman]

As I’ve said before, you can’t die from smoking a couple cigarettes a day. You die from smoking a pack a day or more.

Of course, consume one package of anything per day, and see what happens to you. Wanna try it with Oreos?

 

[wow]

As I’ve said before, you can’t die from smoking a couple cigarettes a day. You die from smoking a pack a day or more.

Of course, consume one package of anything per day, and see what happens to you. Wanna try it with Oreos?

So it sounds like it’s all the buyer’s fault if they cannot control their addiction? I mean, it would be ok to sell alcohol to a alcoholic because it’s his fault he cannot control his addiction?

 

[StCsDavid]

So it sounds like it’s all the buyer’s fault if they cannot control their addiction? I mean, it would be ok to sell alcohol to a alcoholic because it’s his fault he cannot control his addiction?

Cigarettes, alcohol, McDonald’s Big Macs are all legal products and morally neutral in and of themselves. To hold the merchant accountable seems a bit of a stretch. Not everyone who smokes, drinks, or eats fast food suffers from addiction.

 

[wow]

Cigarettes, alcohol, McDonald’s Big Macs are all legal products and morally neutral in and of themselves. To hold the merchant accountable seems a bit of a stretch. Not everyone who smokes, drinks, or eats fast food suffers from addiction.

Just to give thought to both sides of the debate, I have a few more questions. (Head’s up…I’m playing devil’s advocate because I recently quit smoking. I was and am addicted. I smoked 2 to 3 packs a day for over 35 years. I quit Ash Wednesday. It has not been easy and they’re so accessible, it’s been a real struggle at times. I started off smoking just a couple a day though.)

So it would be ok to open a gun shop in East L.A. and sell guns and ammunition because not everyone will run out and shoot someone?

And, if the alcoholic purchases the alcohol and drinks and drives and hits someone while doing so, there is no complicity on society’s part?

If an addicted smoker buys his cigarettes and smokes them where children can see them and they think it’s cool, society bears no responsibility?

 

[lak611]

And, if the alcoholic purchases the alcohol and drinks and drives and hits someone while doing so, there is no complicity on society’s part?

The store or the bar would only be responsible if one was already drunk when he bought the bottle or the drink. Sellers are responsible if they sell to a person who is visibly intoxicated. If the customer is sober when he purchases the liquor and later consumes too much, the seller is not responsible. He has no way of knowing what the customer will do later if the customer is sober when he makes the purchase.

 

[wow]

Didn’t mean to hijack the thread by playing devil’s advocate and throwing in extra comparisons and questions.

It was originally about selling cigarettes.

Let’s approach it like this. Everyone knows smoking is bad for the health and causes cancer and heart diseases. Now, would it be morally wrong to sell them even though society says they’re legal? All the smokers I know are beyond casual. If you sell cigarettes and you see the same customers day in and day out and they purchase two or more packs a day, do you think they are casual smokers?

Fr. Corapi is the one who talked me into quitting cigarettes because of what I’ve stated above. He says if you know you’re killing yourself with cigarettes, it’s a mortal sin. You’re breaking the, thou shall not kill commandment.

Just because it’s legal doesn’t make something morally right. Just take abortion as an example. It’s legal and so are contraceptives.

 

[Newbie2]

That’s a good point and raises the general question, “Is it morally licit for a Catholic to sell “things” that can potentially lead one into sin?” e.g., alcohol, cigarettes, ammunition, condoms and other birth control, etc, etc.

We know these things are bad in the hands of those who those who would abuse them, but may be OK in the hands of others?

How do you know who’s who? (unless someone comes in clearly intoxicated and wants to buy alcohol…which methinks is probably illegal in some states since they might be driving home with it??)

And how does one know they’re not buying it for someone else (of legal age, to leave that out of the discussion)?

 

[Sir_Knight]

So it sounds like it’s all the buyer’s fault if they cannot control their addiction? I mean, it would be ok to sell alcohol to a alcoholic because it’s his fault he cannot control his addiction?

If one is an adult, then one needs to accept responsibility for their own actions

 

[Sir_Knight]

As I’ve said before, you can’t die from smoking a couple cigarettes a day. You die from smoking a pack a day or more.

Actually, you CAN die from smoking a couple of cigarettes a day. A smoker exposes themselves to a risk when smoking. The more cigarettes that a person smokes, the greater the risk is. It’s like playing dodgeball. Somebody could run out there only once and get hit on the very first shot while another player and run around for the entire game and never get tagged. It all comes down to the luck of the draw.

 

[wow]

I understand your argument Sir Knight but I think we’ve brought some moral issues to light with posts number 8 and 9.

I’d be interested in your thoughts on those posts. I know they have been thought provoking for me.

 

[Sir_Knight]

So it would be ok to open a gun shop in East L.A. and sell guns and ammunition because not everyone will run out and shoot someone?

The sale of firearms and ammunition is heavily regulated by Federal, state and local laws. If one adhere to these laws, then it WOULD be okay to open a gun shop in East L.A. and sell guns and ammunition. I actually sell firearms and before getting into this business, I had a detailed discussion with our Monsignor about it and he made it very clear that according to church teaching, we are NOT responsible for the MISUSE of the products that we sell. If we were, then a drugstore clerk would be guilty of wrong doing if somebody purchased sleeping pills and killed themselves, a supermarket would be guilty of wrong doing if they sold someone some beer and the person got drunk and killed someone in a car accident, etc.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Everyone knows smoking is bad for the health and causes cancer and heart diseases.

Not in all cases. One exposes themselves to a greater risk of cancer and heart diseases if one smokes and the more that one engages in these activity, the greater the risk becomes but it is not a certainity

Now, would it be morally wrong to sell them even though society says they’re legal? All the smokers I know are beyond casual. If you sell cigarettes and you see the same customers day in and day out and they purchase two or more packs a day, do you think they are casual smokers?

I’m addicted to Mountain Dew. I drink over a gallon a day. Long term heavy caffeine use can bring about negative health issues. Is it morally wrong for the clerk at the gas station to sell them to me every morning or do I bear some culpability in this matter? I would think that I bear most, if not all, of the responsibility.

Fr. Corapi is the one who talked me into quitting cigarettes because of what I’ve stated above. He says if you know you’re killing yourself with cigarettes, it’s a mortal sin. You’re breaking the, thou shall not kill commandment.

With all respect to Fr. Corapi, he needs to look at official church teaching as defined in the CCC – when one is addicted to a particular behavior (as would be the case with smoking … I never smoked so I can not personally comment on the addiction aspect of smoking), one’s culpability in the matter is reduced, if not totally removed … this is per the CCC.

 

[Newbie2]

I’m addicted to Mountain Dew. I drink over a gallon a day.

You need help.