Question

According to utilitarianism (intrinsic value), why is smoking morally wrong?

Answer 1

From a utilitarian perspective, smoking can be considered morally wrong as it causes imminent harm to one self and to others, at the cost of a short term gain. People pay increasingly large amounts of money to engage in a habit that is directly killing them. That is, instead of donating money to help relieve completely preventable illnesses facing children and adults in the developing world, smokers choose to spend their money on something that is killing them.