The one year anniversary of the Tobacco Regulation Law is being celebrated today across the country. This law gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, the power to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of tobacco products.
Several new provisions will take effect today that include:
- A crackdown on tobacco marketing and sales to children.
- Ban misleading cigarette labels such as “light,” “mild,” and “low tar.” These terms have been used to deceive the public and discourage smokers from quitting by falsely portraying some tobacco products as being safer.
- Require larger and bolder warnings on smokeless tobacco products and advertising.
These new provisions follow the rules set out by the FDA last year in banning candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes and highlights the importance of reducing the number of children who start to smoke, and who become addicted early in life. Flavors of cigarettes that were banned included toffee, mocha, mint, vanilla and strawberry – flavors that would appeal to children.
According to FDA commissioner, Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., last year, “Almost 90 percent of adult smokers start smoking as teenagers. These flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers. The FDA will utilize regulatory authority to reduce the burden of illness and death caused by tobacco products to enhance our Nation's public health.”
The tobacco companies have been fighting the laws imposed by the FDA and are challenging the new marketing restrictions in court. Most of the provisions have been upheld by a federal judge.
The FDA reports that over 400,000 people die each year in the US from tobacco use and costs $96 billion annually in health care expenditures. For more information click here.
In Michigan, the Tobacco Free Kids website reports close to 19 percent of high school students smoke and approximately 16,000 children under 18 become new daily smokers each year. Adults who die each year from their own smoking account for over 14,000 deaths, and adult non-smokers who die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke is roughly 1,740. Staggering figures.
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Comments
Wonderful news!!!
Your headline is inaccurate. Candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes were banned a year ago, as you wrote here: "These new provisions follow the rules set out by the FDA last year in banning candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes..."
Th new regulations have to do with tobacco sales, mostly.
I thought they got rid of those flavored candy cigarettes years ago...
I knew they had candy cigarettes, but I never heard of fruit flavored ones. Have seen the bubble gum cigars too. Thanks for sharing the information on banning these items from children.
Wonderful news, if they don't start with something that taste great then the chance of switching to the real ones will not happen.
Candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigars are not banned. This is a law dealing with tobacco. A small number of flavored cigarettes were sold by RJR a few years ago. They were removed from the market in 2007, but are not permanently banned.
And again, this headline is incorrect.
I should have written: "This is a law dealing with tobacco. A small number of flavored cigarettes were sold by RJR a few years ago. They were removed from the market in 2007, but are NOW permanently banned."
This article is followed by three links for buying candy cigarettes on line- the worst product ever! I don't patronize businesses that sell them.
I agree with Jeff. How candy cigarettes ever got on the market is a mystery to me. Thanks for your comments.
"US from tobacco use and costs $96 billion annually in health care expenditures"
Wonder what the increased cost of supplying pensions to those with increased life expectancies. It would be interesting to see the numbers. I hate cigarettes, but using financials as a reason for banning them could be turned back around on regulators. Anybody know if there are numbers out there for this?
The government is too involved with what people choose to do. I am not a regular smoker but I do like to smoke a cigar on occation and if I want my cigar I have that right. Reason I say this is because it is just the beginning. Be careful what you wish for tobacco pays for a ton of taxes. I would hate it if my kids smoked but if they are legal age and make that decision that is there right in a FREE country.
These rules are silly (coming from a non-smoker). And it's not candy that's been banned just flavors put into cigarettes. Most kids probably already had regular cigarettes and became addicted to the nicotine (or other drugs) before they found out there are tons of flavors. They're just trying to over-regulate something they find harmful but can't bring themselves to make illegal. I feel bad for all the people who smoke clove cigarettes though (read around, it's on the list of banned flavors). Also stinks - literally - for us non-smokers that are always around smokers since a major perk of people smoking flavered cigarettes is the sweet smell. Another point, making something more forbidden is actually better advertisement for kids. I found out about the ban on my news feed when signing into my instant messengers - wonder how many kids did the same. Did anyone else notice the "premium sponsored results" ads? Haha. I call BS and backfire!
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