Consumers Are A Distrusting Lot

If an HMO supplemented its income by selling cigarettes and gasoline, would consumers think less of it? Probably not, judging by a Harris Poll. The numbers of people who trust those industries are already so low as to fall within the margin of error (see the chart). It would serve us right, meanwhile, if the much-scorned pharmaceutical companies stopped inventing miracle drugs and devoted their R&D to breakfast cereals. Packaged-foods companies (trusted by 23 percent) far outscored the drug sector.