I will be assessing how a selected business could improve the ethics of their operation.Duncan
Bannatyne went to Mauritius, Nigeria and Malawi in a BBC video I watched titled British American
Tobacco targeting African children with cigarettes. There was many ethical issues in this
documentary.
There was primary school children smoking in Mauritius; 21 children were smoking in a school in
Mauritius ranging from the ages 11-14 and BAT were the main cause of this as they were
advertising discretely. There was a girl who been smoking since she was 8 years old and she
claimed that she did not know smoking kill. Children in that school said they will rather smoke than
eat. A third of all kids in Mauritius are smoking and those kids are found to be amongst the poorest.
These kids have single cigarettes available to them which they can buy for cheap and single
cigarettes are banned in the UK because they believe it is easily accessible to kids. In Mauritius
BAT provide pots to sell in stores to sell and promote single cigarette sticks; also the pot is given for
free to put to sticks in.BAT provide tobacco to 98.9% of Mauritius population and advertising is
banned in Mautris.BAT still advertise discretely such as having small posters.BAT promote smoking
and they make it seem as if smoking is fashionable and gives pleasure whereas if one does not
smoke they are somehow backwards. Many people in Mauritius are smokers before the age of
18.Matinee is a popular cigarette product and BAT helped stores paint they store however they
painted the stores to match the packaging of the cigarette.BAT do this in order to advertise and
promote their product. Children smokers in Mauritius end up at the cardiac centre as cigarettes clog
up arteries which leads to heart disease. Someone the age of 26 had operation because of smoking
and he had to have a open heart surgery. Smoking will cause heart disease at some point in a
smoker’s life especially if they smoke 10 cigarettes a day for 20 years.BAT offered cardiac centre
money as part of their corporate social responsibility and BAT also offered to buy beds and paint the
hospital which happens yearly. However the doctor there believes BAT is doing this for publicity.
Also 2-3 heart operations happen daily on young people because of smoking.
In Nigeria 92% of the market share in terms of tobacco is led by BAT.During filming of the
documentary BAT did not want to be filmed outside of their office, which shows they had something
to hide.It is said that Nigeria encourage people to smoke.BAT and Philip Morris have a 9 billion law
suit against them because of the advertising of cigarettes and promoting to youth.In Nigeria BAT are
specifically targeting children and they are aware that young people from the age of 8 are
smoking.BAT are also creating products to target new and young people.BAT also create events
and music festivals in order to attract young people as the number of young smokers went up by
29% through music festivals.120,000 people went to the concert; benson & hedges logo displayed
in the concert which is clearly targeted at young people.Also underage kids were at the concert as
there was no one checking their age.They has been a 50% increase of smokers in 10 years in
Nigeria.Advertsing of tobacco and cigarettes is banned in Nigeria, however BAT gives free products
to shops to discrelety advertise their brand.BAT still advertise even though it is banned, their posters
clamied that if they buy pall mall filters they can win watches and wallets which can attract young
people.BAT tried to block government help warning signs which will make people cluless about the
risks of smoking.100,000 people die from smoking per year and tobacco kills 5.4m a year globally
and by 2030 it is said that 200,00 africans will die a year due to smoking.
In Malawi 60% of their exports is tobacco, there was not many smokers years ago in Malawi
however people smoking in Malawi is starting to increase.Only a small amount of children smoke in
Malawi, however in one of the schools the children did not smoke however they know the BAT
cigarette brands. The older boys in Malawi believe smoking gives wisdom and they also believe that
they will pass exams and keeps their brain fresh.9% of the adults in Malawi smoke.When BAT
1
Bannatyne went to Mauritius, Nigeria and Malawi in a BBC video I watched titled British American
Tobacco targeting African children with cigarettes. There was many ethical issues in this
documentary.
There was primary school children smoking in Mauritius; 21 children were smoking in a school in
Mauritius ranging from the ages 11-14 and BAT were the main cause of this as they were
advertising discretely. There was a girl who been smoking since she was 8 years old and she
claimed that she did not know smoking kill. Children in that school said they will rather smoke than
eat. A third of all kids in Mauritius are smoking and those kids are found to be amongst the poorest.
These kids have single cigarettes available to them which they can buy for cheap and single
cigarettes are banned in the UK because they believe it is easily accessible to kids. In Mauritius
BAT provide pots to sell in stores to sell and promote single cigarette sticks; also the pot is given for
free to put to sticks in.BAT provide tobacco to 98.9% of Mauritius population and advertising is
banned in Mautris.BAT still advertise discretely such as having small posters.BAT promote smoking
and they make it seem as if smoking is fashionable and gives pleasure whereas if one does not
smoke they are somehow backwards. Many people in Mauritius are smokers before the age of
18.Matinee is a popular cigarette product and BAT helped stores paint they store however they
painted the stores to match the packaging of the cigarette.BAT do this in order to advertise and
promote their product. Children smokers in Mauritius end up at the cardiac centre as cigarettes clog
up arteries which leads to heart disease. Someone the age of 26 had operation because of smoking
and he had to have a open heart surgery. Smoking will cause heart disease at some point in a
smoker’s life especially if they smoke 10 cigarettes a day for 20 years.BAT offered cardiac centre
money as part of their corporate social responsibility and BAT also offered to buy beds and paint the
hospital which happens yearly. However the doctor there believes BAT is doing this for publicity.
Also 2-3 heart operations happen daily on young people because of smoking.
In Nigeria 92% of the market share in terms of tobacco is led by BAT.During filming of the
documentary BAT did not want to be filmed outside of their office, which shows they had something
to hide.It is said that Nigeria encourage people to smoke.BAT and Philip Morris have a 9 billion law
suit against them because of the advertising of cigarettes and promoting to youth.In Nigeria BAT are
specifically targeting children and they are aware that young people from the age of 8 are
smoking.BAT are also creating products to target new and young people.BAT also create events
and music festivals in order to attract young people as the number of young smokers went up by
29% through music festivals.120,000 people went to the concert; benson & hedges logo displayed
in the concert which is clearly targeted at young people.Also underage kids were at the concert as
there was no one checking their age.They has been a 50% increase of smokers in 10 years in
Nigeria.Advertsing of tobacco and cigarettes is banned in Nigeria, however BAT gives free products
to shops to discrelety advertise their brand.BAT still advertise even though it is banned, their posters
clamied that if they buy pall mall filters they can win watches and wallets which can attract young
people.BAT tried to block government help warning signs which will make people cluless about the
risks of smoking.100,000 people die from smoking per year and tobacco kills 5.4m a year globally
and by 2030 it is said that 200,00 africans will die a year due to smoking.
In Malawi 60% of their exports is tobacco, there was not many smokers years ago in Malawi
however people smoking in Malawi is starting to increase.Only a small amount of children smoke in
Malawi, however in one of the schools the children did not smoke however they know the BAT
cigarette brands. The older boys in Malawi believe smoking gives wisdom and they also believe that
they will pass exams and keeps their brain fresh.9% of the adults in Malawi smoke.When BAT
1
