If it is likely known beforehand that a product will harm people in a desirable way, it should be illegal to sell. Otherwise, if it is desirable enough, too many people will do it regardless of the harm, Amirite?

+45 If it is likely known beforehand that a product will harm people in a desirable way, it should be illegal to sell. Otherwise, if it is desirable enough, too many people will do it regardless of the harm, Amirite?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Not illegal. However, consumers shoukd be made aware of the damage it can cause. My first thought was cigarettes. What were you thinking about?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I was thinking about the twinkies probably because of the whole thing with them

by Anonymous 11 years ago

What thing?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I think Hostess is closing up shop or something or it already has done this

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Hostess closed shop because it went bankrupt due to a disagreement with worker's unions.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

yes, cigarettes was my primary thought. i didn't want to make specific examples because people might disagree that they belong there, while i simply wanted to isolate the theory. Perhaps you're right, and it shouldn't be made illegal, but at least harder to obtain (which is already being done with cigarettes). If the price increases and the dangers are made clear, than it can't become too popular. I should have thought about that before i made this post. Thanks

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Oh, you were thinking that too. Also, I'm not sure how often, but I do know there has to be products that don't make it into the market because if safety reasons. I mean, that is what the FDA is for right. The post is fine. I think by making it general istead of specific, you've encouraged people to actually discuss it in more detail.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Yes, that's true. but if an unsafe product is allowed and then the standards change to make it unsafe, then it becomes extremely difficult to repeal due to popularity, like with cigarettes. I think that its better to make the product difficult and impractical to obtain, but if that is not an option (which is an unreal circumstance), then it's better to make it illegal than to let it become too popular and have everyone suffer its consequences (it'd be better to make smoking illegal than to have everyone smoke) That may be different depending on how harmful the product is, though, but it would take an almost harmless product to not be so

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Sorry, you lost me at "harm people in a desirable way." :-/

by Anonymous 11 years ago