PASSAGE IAttitudes towards the smoking of cigarettes and the consumption of alcohol may be used to illustrate typical African ethics. Apart from the fact smoking has now been linked with the lung cancer disease, the Africans 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 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 have continued to smoke. The same argument has been applied to the consumption of alcohol. The African moralist, basing his judgment on the behaviour of few alcoholics tends to regard the habit of taking alcohol as a sign of wretchedness the moralist holds the view that anybody who forms the habit of consuming alcohol will never do well in life. While this may be true in respect of a few people in the society the fear of the moralist has been justified. However the economist 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 demand for tobacco and alcohol. The economist is interested in knowing how many packets of cigarettes are consumed and to what extent an increase or fall in consumption could affect production that is supply of beer will adjust to the demand 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 cigarettes factories and some business however there seems to be a growing number of alcohol consumers and cigarettes smokers development which should be of interest to the economist
