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You are working for Company X. One day your manager says that the company wants to tap into the market on NRT and they’ve marketed a technology to make the polymer which binds nicotine cheaper. It was expensive for the company to attain the rights, but now they will get a great market share. Company X and your manager are absolutely committed to this project.
You are asked to lead the project and your team will determine if patch or gum is better. You will also get a huge bonus for leading such a strong, new project. What do you do? Use arguments based in the framework of moral pluralism to discuss your answer.
- Answer the study questions for the mass transfer model for both the patch and gum.
- Answer the questions below. There are several specific ethical questions related to both NRT in general and to delivery methods specifically. Use arguments based in the framework of moral pluralism and mass transfer to discuss your answers.
Efficacy |
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Does NRT work to reduce smoking? Like many ethical questions, sometimes data and their interpretation can play a role. In this case, there are many conflicting studies based on many different sets of data. How do you decide the truth? |
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Physiological effects |
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Is NRT safe? NRT still exposes your body to a potentially harmful stimulant which can cause cardiovascular problems. Also the Nicotine in NRT is still addictive. Is it ethical to encourage people to use this product? |
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Psychological effects |
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Is NRT the best option psychologically? It helps with the physical addiction but not the underlying factors of smoking. Also, with NRT gum people can still “self-medicate” as they could with cigarettes. Is the patch better or worse for this? |
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Sociology |
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Socioeconomically deprived young smokers do not benefit from NRT, due to cost and commitment. How are issues of social justice associated with NRT and stopping smoking? |
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Dosage and Mechanism of Uptake |
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What factors can vary the rate of nicotine uptake in the patch and in the gum? How are this rate of uptake and other side effects related to safe administration of the therapy? |
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