question_answer Discussion Board for a Question on Quiz: Use of English (JAMB 2003)

PASSAGE III

Attitudes towards the smoking of cigarettes and the
consumption of alcohol may be used to illustrate typicalAfrican
ethics. Apart from the fact that smoking has now been linked
with lung cancer disease, the African moralist has always
regarded smoking as an indication of moral degradation. A
number of people have accepted the moralist idea on smoking.
Some have refrained from smoking, and those who could
influence others, such as parents and religious leaders, have
also exerted their influence to prevent others from smoking. On
the other hand, a good many people have remained indifferent
to the moralist view and have continued to smoke. The same
argument has been applied to the consumption of alcohol. The
African moralist, basing his judgement on the behaviour of a
few alcoholics, tends to regard the habit of taking alcohol as a
sign of wretchedness. Themoralist holds the viewthat anybody
who forms the habit of consuming alcohol will never do well in
live. While this may be true in respect of a few people in the
society, the fear of themoralist has not been justified. However,
the economics is primarily interested in the habit of smoking and
the consumption of alcohol in so far as they give satisfaction to
smokers and drinkers and so generate supply of and demand for
tobacco and alcohol. The economist is interested in knowing
howmany packets of cigarettes are consumed and to what extent
an increase or fall in consumption could affect production, that is, supply. Similarly, he is interested in how much beer is
consumed and howthe supply of beer will adjust to the demand
for it. He examines the habits and the pressures which can lead
to the readjustment of wants and the reallocation of resources
to cover the wants.
Some moral principles associated with religion tend to
lead on to economic problems. Followers of certain religions are
expected not to consume pork, take alcohol or smoke tobacco.
Devotees of some religious groups, on the other hand, can eat
pork while others are expected to abstain from alcohol and
smoking. Strict observance of these moral rules could cripple
the breweries, the cigarette factories and some businesses.
However, there seems to be a growing number of alcohol
consumers and cigarette smokers – a development which should
be of interest to the economist.

The positions maintained by the moralist and the
economist can be described as being