Food and Drug Administration wants smoking labels to frighten smokers into quitting

Since cigarette caution labels appeared in 1985, they have had little influence on smoking conduct. Soon packs of cigarettes will bear large, graphic alerts when new label standards are implemented by the Food and Drug Administration. Last year Congress granted the FDA broad powers to regulate tobacco as a drug and also the cigarette caution labels are a prominent manifestation of that authority.

Numerous in shock of new cigarette labels

At fda.gov you are able to see what the FDA posted for public remark that are the new cigarette warning labels that show the consequences of smoking graphically. The FDA’s proposed cigarette warning labels cover half the surface area of the pack. The effects of smoking like a woman smoking with a baby in her lap, a man smoking from a tracheotomy tube in his throat, and a body with a t-shirt saying "I quit" on it laying in a morgue are shown in these graphic pictures. There are requirements for graphic labels in over 30 countries already. Images of cancerous mouths and organs and blackened teeth are among these.

Wanting public opinion on cigarette warnings for the FDA

The Food and Drug Administration hopes that the public will comment on the cigarette labels. Until January 9, the public can see and make comments on 36 cigarette warning labels. They’ll end up picking nine cigarette warnings. June 22 can be when this happens by. Cigarette companies won’t be allowed to sell smokes without the brand new warning labels after Oct. 22, 2012. The brand new warnings are supported by Philip Morris USA which is the nation's largest cigarette manufacturer. The New York Times spoke with director of the Nicotine Dependence Center at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Richard Hurt, who said that a change in packaging can be done by cigarette makers in order to make the message less hurtful to the product.

Tobacco use statistics

Tobacco use causes 443,000 deaths within the U.S. yearly and costs $96 billion, according to the federal government. About 3.5 million teenagers smoke along with 46 million adults. Children and teenagers find cigarettes and start becoming regular smokers too early. Every day, 1,000 become regular when 4,000 try it.

Information from

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/11/11/health/policy/11tobacco.html

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/10/AR2010111003255.html

CNN

cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/10/cigarette.warnings/index.html?npt=NP1

FDA

fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteProductWarningLabels/default.htm