Beyond tobacco, it raises ancient philosophical and religious issues about being our brother's keeper. But don't be surprised if the next U. of M. probe looks at sugar, bacon and butter. Those industries fail to warn of the hazards of obesity. And fatty foods contribute to the deaths of nearly 1 million Americans a year, according to a Detroit News story comparing those deaths to the 3,000 attributed to second-hand smoke. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, our National Mom, recently called for detailed sugar information on edibles.
Advertising lures people to pop, rues the writer, echoing earlier complaints against tobacco ads.
But it found Big Tobacco special. It's not clear how they weighed tobacco benefits in terms of wages paid over the centuries, taxes generated and farmers who sent kids to college on the back of a good crop. On balance and in hindsight, unnamed executives were found to be ethically challenged. Owning tobacco stock is antithetical to the university's core mission, says the school tobacco report, which has been sent to regents for consideration. George Bullard is The Detroit News religion writer.