What Are The Ethical Implications Of Jeffrey Wigand's Whistleblowing

Jeffrey Wigand, a biochemist, worked in the Research and Development department for Brown & Williamson (B&W), a US tobacco company. After fours years of employment, he was fired for increased tensions, disagreements and concerns with other co-workers regarding certain additives being used to the companies tobacco products as well as marketing campaigns to teenagers. Wigand signed a confidentiality agreement with B&W, in order to keep his severance package and benefits. In 1996, however, he blew the whistle on B&W, which lead to changes in marketing and fines in the billions for tobacco companies. Wigand's controversial decision has been questioned by many people, focusing on the ethical elements that resulted in him blowing the whistle. Regardless
In connection with Richard De George's Whistlebowing essay, Wigand's scenario still fits all five necessary conditions. For the first three conditions, his whistleblowing would still be ethically justifiable and permissible. Wigand's position allowed him to discover that the tobacco company and his employer, manipulated the nicotine and chemical additives in cigarettes, lied about their knowledge of this, failed to develop “safer” cigarettes, as well as marketed to teenagers (p. 366). This satisfies the first condition of De George's criteria. B&W, through it's altered and more addictive tobacco products will do serious and considerable harm to the public and especially people who directly smoke cigarettes (p. 333). People who smoke will have a harder time quitting from the added nicotine and will face a higher risk of health problems, diseases, and death related to smoking. This can also affects the general public since the more potent second-hand smoke can be inhaled by a non-smoker and even young children, which also increases their risk to significant harm. Both the second and third conditions, which are closely intertwined were also satisfied by Wigand. After realizing and identifying that
After his concerns fell on deaf ears and poor feedback, Wigand continued working his way up the chain of authority and command and contacting others within in the company (p. 367). He likely never thought of telling anyone outside of the company until after he realized he was purposely being ignored by his employer at multiple levels. Reporting and making one's concerns known to the appropriate superior is the second condition and the third is exhausting all internal possibilities, contacts and procedures within the company after initial complaints were ignored or unchanged. Wigand satisfied both second and third conditions, which is likely a reason he was fired after four years (p. 366). Wigand was probably continually addressing B&W executives with his concerns, but because they already knew of the deceit, lies and cover-ups within the company, it was easier to silence Wigand then change their operations. This is also likely the spark within Wigand that motivates him to consider the potential of going public in attempt to rectify the tobacco industry's