Its legal, but is it ethical? For years, a nationally known doughnut chain only sold sugary drinks

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It’s legal, but is it ethical?
For years, a nationally known doughnut chain only sold sugary drinks at its retail outlets on a prominent university campus.
Sugar consumption is known to contribute to diseases such as heart disease, tooth decay, diabetes, kidney stones, and obesity. Although these health concerns were brought to the attention of the chain several times, patrons were told that if they wanted diet drinks, they had to purchase them from coin-operated machines or from other food operations on the campus. Since speed of service is important, many consumers were unwilling to make a second stop to buy their diet beverages. The chain continued to sell only sugary drinks, even though they had been banned as health risks from elementary schools, hospitals, and some retail establishments.
The amount of sugar in well-known sugary drinks is incredibly high:
• 38 grams (10 sugar cubes) in a 12 oz. can of Coca Cola;
• 91 grams (23.5 sugar cubes) in a 32 oz. fountain drink of Coca Cola;
• 77 grams (19.5 sugar cubes) in a 20 oz. bottle of Mountain Dew;
• 46 grams (14.5 sugar cubes) in a 16 oz. bottle of Snapple Iced Tea; and
• 48 grams (12 sugar cubes) in a 16 oz. bottle of Minute Maid orange juice.
In March 2013, the situation was of such concern that Michael Bloomberg, then mayor of New York City, proposed banning the sale of nondiet soft drinks of larger than 16 oz. in New York City but was stopped by the decision of a New York State judge.


Questions
1. Why do you think that the doughnut chain continued to sell only sugary soft drinks even though it was under pressure to sell diet soft drinks as well?
2. Was selling only sugary soft drinks ethical?
3. Should the university campus officials have forced the doughnut chain to carry diet soft drinks?

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Related Book For  book-img-for-question

Business And Professional Ethics

ISBN: 9780357441886

9th Edition

Authors: Leonard J Brooks, Paul Dunn

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