LSAT 11 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q6

LR Question 6 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Cigarette smoking has been shown to be a health hazard …

QUESTION TYPE: Principle – Justify

CONCLUSION: Governments should ban all ads that promote smoking.

REASONING: Smoking is a health hazard.

ANALYSIS: We’re looking for a general principle that would justify banning ads for a product known to harm health. So it should convey the idea that if a product is harmful, promoting it should not be allowed.

Be careful of answers that are too weak. We’re not just looking for something that bans misleading ads or requires disclosure. It demands outright bans for ads of harmful products.

___________

1. This focuses on what’s shown in the ad, not the nature of the product itself. An ad could promote smoking without showing someone smoking.
2. This addresses false claims. But the argument assumes the public already knows smoking is dangerous. The stimulus would still require honest ads to be banned.
3. This allows cigarette ads with warnings, but the argument wants them completely banned.
4. Out of scope. This is about product standards, not advertising.
5. CORRECT. If only healthful products should be advertised, and cigarettes are not healthful, then cigarette ads should be banned.