Should Hospitals Sell Fries But Not Cigarettes?

The writer thinks that cigarettes are categorically different from french fries. This assumes that 2nd-hand effects are the only ones that matter. This leaves out the question of whether hospitals should tacitly endorse certain kinds of foods by selling them in their cafeterias. >>>

Selling fast food isn’t as dodgy as selling cigarettes: Ethically Speaking

In a recent column, you said it was OK for vendors in hospitals to sell unhealthy food, because that’s what people wanted. So: would you support hospitals selling cigarettes in their gift shops to augment funds? I don’t think so! Then why is it right to allow the sale of unhealthy food that causes obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer? There’s no difference; food can be as deadly as tobacco.
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Why is it OK for a hospital to permit vendors to sell fries but not smokes? Simple. There’s no such thing as a second-hand french fry. Well, I suppose there is, but it’s unlikely anyone else will eat it…..

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