The Tanning Bed Industry and the Tobacco Industry: Ethical Sisters
The Tanning Bed Industry and the Tobacco Industry: Ethical Sisters?
PHL/323
December 17, 2012
Edward Peet
The Tanning Bed Industry and the Tobacco Industry: Ethical Sisters?
The tanning industry and has a service to provide for monetary compensation. The industry and shop owners have an interest to protect. Their livelihood, loans to repay, franchise agreements to honor, human resource obligations to pay, and taxes to pay. The industry association and tanning business networks have a plan to further their business (Huber, 2012). The following content will discuss those practices and similarities to tobacco industry practices.
Clearly Define the Issue The tanning industry makes their money from a service that reportedly could be hazardous to the consumer (Huber, 2012). This product is tanning beds that use ultra violet (UV) light to help their consumers become tan and produce vitamin D. The ethical dilemma arises from evidence that UV exposure may cause some types of cancer. Despite these possible hazards the industry continues to claim healthy benefits from using their service. The tanning industry accuses dermatologist and other agencies of either lying, getting paid from other companies, or lacking enough evidence to prove that their service is causative. The industry is also training their employees on what they can say when they are at work and what to tell their friends and family when they are off the clock. They are using their employees as a form of advertisement. They propagate doubt in the minds of possible customers about the possible risks of using tanning beds. The tanning industry appears to be unconcerned that their product could be harming their customers.
Basis of the Issue At 4.9 billion dollars the tanning industry cannot afford to lose customers with claims of cancer risks not proven to be 100 % true. Vitamin D issues are also mixed in the controversy. “Scientists have proven, however, that exposure to all forms of
PHL/323
December 17, 2012
Edward Peet
The Tanning Bed Industry and the Tobacco Industry: Ethical Sisters?
The tanning industry and has a service to provide for monetary compensation. The industry and shop owners have an interest to protect. Their livelihood, loans to repay, franchise agreements to honor, human resource obligations to pay, and taxes to pay. The industry association and tanning business networks have a plan to further their business (Huber, 2012). The following content will discuss those practices and similarities to tobacco industry practices.
Clearly Define the Issue The tanning industry makes their money from a service that reportedly could be hazardous to the consumer (Huber, 2012). This product is tanning beds that use ultra violet (UV) light to help their consumers become tan and produce vitamin D. The ethical dilemma arises from evidence that UV exposure may cause some types of cancer. Despite these possible hazards the industry continues to claim healthy benefits from using their service. The tanning industry accuses dermatologist and other agencies of either lying, getting paid from other companies, or lacking enough evidence to prove that their service is causative. The industry is also training their employees on what they can say when they are at work and what to tell their friends and family when they are off the clock. They are using their employees as a form of advertisement. They propagate doubt in the minds of possible customers about the possible risks of using tanning beds. The tanning industry appears to be unconcerned that their product could be harming their customers.
Basis of the Issue At 4.9 billion dollars the tanning industry cannot afford to lose customers with claims of cancer risks not proven to be 100 % true. Vitamin D issues are also mixed in the controversy. “Scientists have proven, however, that exposure to all forms of
References: Christians, C. G., Fackler, M., & Richardson, K. B. (2012). Media ethics. Cases and moral reasoning (9th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Huber, B. (2012). Embattled tanning industry takes its cues from big tobacco. Retrieved from http://business-ethics.com/2012/08/23/1623-embattled-tanning-industry-takes-its-cues-from-big-tobacco/ Levy, J. (2012). Smarttan Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.smarttan.com Nordqvist, C. (2012). Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618.php Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.