That Kitty Litter Is Smoking

I wonder what it must be like to work for the tobacco industry? I have maintained that the dominant form of ethics today is the ethics of efficacy. Meaning it is ethical to do something if it gets you what you want. The tobacco industry well illustrates that form of ethical belief.

Today on Facebook there was a bit from SALON.COM entitled there is kitty litter in your cigarette. Ooooo. Apparently the tobacco companies are using filters comprised of a clay like substance the type found in kitty litter. It seems a strange component for filters but there is a reason for this weirdness. Apparently under the law if a rolled tobacco product weighs at least 3 pounds per 1,000 they can be labeled “large” or “premium” cigars. And, for some idiotic reason cigars are taxed at a lesser rate than cigarettes. Thus, the tobacco companies using these heavy filters and defining them as cigars saving about $1.1 billion in taxes between April of 2009 and September of 2011. It is legal and it follows the form of ethics I have described.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has introduced a bill to close this loophole, which, if passed, could generate $3.6 billion in new tax revenue over ten years.

We know tobacco causes over 5 million deaths worldwide each year and at project rate it will reach 8 million deaths per year by 2030; the leading cause of preventable death. Some might find this unethical by other ethical standards, such as concern for human life and the common good.

I would suggest these two fellas (both orphans in the Indonesian Taman Safari Zee that have buddied up) have a better understanding of ethics than tobacco company leaders

However, since Durbin’s legislation would create new tax revenues some may oppose it on ideological grounds or should that be idiotological grounds?