An adolescent is arrested for shoplifting cigarettes at a convenience store. Officer: "We'll be taking you down to the station, where you'll be formally charged with shoplifting." Adolescent: "Why punish me? I just did some other smoker a favor. Smoking is harmful, so by taking those cigarettes, I may have prevented another smoker's death." What fallacy in reasoning has the troubled teen committed?
A) Faulty sign
B) Sweeping generalization
C) Red herring
D) Appeal to authority

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The adolescent introduces an irrelevant topic (the potential health benefits of not smoking) to distract from the issue at hand (the act of shoplifting), which is a classic example of a red herring fallacy.

An Adolescent Is Arrested for Shoplifting Cigarettes at a Convenience