The tobacco industry is still profitable and projections are that it will remain so. In the United States this year, the total amount of tobacco sold by tobacco farmers has increased, even though the number of adults who smoke has decreased.
Each of the following if true, could explain the simultaneous increase in tobacco sales than decrease in the number of adults who smoke EXCEPT:
1. During this year the number of women who have begun to smoke is greater than the number of men who have quit smoking.
2. The number of teenage children who have begun to smoke this year is greater than the number of adults who have quit smoking during the same period.
3. During this year, the number of nonsmokers who have begun to use chewing tobacco or snuff is greater than the number of people who have quit smoking.
4. The people who have continued to smoke consume more tobacco per person than they did in the past.
5. More of the cigarettes made in the United Sates this year were exported to other countries than was the case last year.

Answer is A.

How do we concur on A?

- Sanjeeth

total # of tobacco sold increased, but the # of adult smokers decreased. tobacco industry is still profitable

a) this can mean that there are now more adult smokers, which contradits the premise. this may also mean that there is no net change, which does not explain gap in the premises stated in the argument. we don't know how many female and male smokers are there to begin with.
b) # of kids that picked up smoking > # of adults that quit. the argument only states that the number of adults who smoke has decreased and does not look at kids/teens. this clearly fill the gap
c) more tobacco products used will also explain the gap presented in the argument. the argument is concerned with tobacco industry, not just cigarettes, thus if demand for tobacco products has increased, but the number of adult smokers has decreased, tobacco industry can still remain profitable.
d) some people quit smoking but the ones that are still smoking are now smoking a lot more. tobacco consumption increased ->tobacco industry still profitable
e) the argument is concerned with tobacco industry, but we are given statistics only about u.s. smokers. if the demand for tobbacco worldwide has increased, it may compensate for the decrease in the # of adult smokers in u.s. -> tobacco industry is still profitable

cliff notes: each of the answer choices clearly fills the logical gap presented in the question stem. answer (a) leaves room for intepretation and may actually contradict the information stated in the argument.

Thank you for the explanation George!

Dear Instructors - Could you please let me know why A is wrong i.e the correct ans? I understand all the other options, which shows the discrepancy.

The question stem reads as below -Since it reads " if true "we have to take the ans choice as true as they are given so NO bargain there!

"Each of the following, if true, could explain the simultaneous increase in tobacco sales and decrease in the number of adults who smoke EXCEPT"

Option A : During this year, the number of women who have begun to smoke is greater than the number of men who have quit smoking.

So lets say 30 adults: now 10 men quit and 11 women joined the smoking club so now there are 31 adults! So just because this contradicts the statements in the question is this option wrong? Or is there any other specific way we can ascertain this option to be correct?