Ethics of Everyday Decisions - Smoking

This is part of a series encouraging an examination of everyday decisions from a moral standpoint. How do our everyday actions help or harm ourselves and others? Think about it. For those interested, there is a Scriptural insight relating to the everyday decision, from a Christian standpoint. I welcome responses from those who might be able to offer similar insights from the Koran or other sacred writings.

Over the next few months, watch for postings on health decisions, work decisions, environmental decisions, relationship decisions, and...who knows what else?

The spate of laws around smoking in public places suggests that there’s more to smoking than one’s own personal decision. “To smoke or not to smoke?” It is a moral decision.

On the positive side, smoking may have a calming effect on the smoker, fulfill a desire for taste, or contribute to one’s self or group image. Many claim smoking depresses one’s appetite, helping people keep from gaining weight. Buying and smoking supports thousands of workers (and their families) in the tobacco industry and its entire supply and distribution chain.

On the negative side, smokers’ friends and families may have to stand by and watch as their loved ones’ health and lives are negatively affected. Smoking causes and/or contributes to numerous life threatening and life-limiting diseases and conditions for both the smoker and those close enough to inhale the secondhand smoke. As a result, individuals, companies and society bear higher health care costs. Smoking produces litter and indoors, coats walls and furnishings with a yellowish substance. As a result, more frequent cleaning is required, increasing costs to building owners, employers and taxpayers.

There may be more implications, positive and negative, but just considering the ones above, you can see that decisions around smoking are moral decisions, in addition to practical, political, financial and others.

A Scriptural Perspective: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” -1st Corinthians 3:16-17