U.S. Cigarette Packaging Update
A while back we posted a story about the new cigarette warning labels due to cover cigarette packing by September 2012. We figured we would update our readers on the latest news.
As of Monday November 7, 2011, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon has blocked this legislation. Leon was prolific in his disagreement, writing a 29-page opinion on the matter. In Leon’s opinion, the graphic images the FDA has presented to grace the packaging of cigarettes were too graphic and oversized. The judge felt that the size of the labels also infringe on companies’ rights to free speech.
In 1966, the U.S. was the first country to require warning labels on cigarette packing. This method of education was responsible for a bigger decline in smoking rates than recorded in any other decade. The new warning labels that the FDA is promoting are similar to those found in other countries, would cover 75% of cigarette packaging and feature graphic images of long-time tobacco cigarette smokers.
Every person has the right to free speech, but should corporations also have that right? If so, would this proposal infringe on tobacco companies’ freedom of speech? Do you think that these images will help to deter smoking in the U.S. or will people light up regardless? As a provider of a smoke-free alternative, Finiti wants to know what you think.
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The following was posted on NACSonline:
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has some tough things to say to the tobacco industry in a new White House web video released yesterday for the 36th annual “Great American Smokeout” day, the Associated Press reports. Obama, whom doctors said was tobacco-free after his most recent physical, said the tobacco firms are against the new cigarette labels because “they don’t want to be honest about the consequences.”
While the number of Americans who light up has dropped, 46 million still smoke, Obama said in the video. “The fact is, quitting smoking is hard. …Believe me, I know,” he said. “Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable early deaths in this country. …We also know that the best way to prevent the health problems that come with smoking is to keep young people from starting in the first place.”
Two years ago, the president signed into law a bill to help prevent young people from smoking. This past June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released its new warning labels with graphic images. Tobacco companies have filed a lawsuit against the agency to stop the labels.
“Today, some big tobacco companies are trying to block these labels because they don’t want to be honest about the consequences using their products,” said Obama. “Unfortunately, this isn’t surprising. We’ve always known that the fight to stop smoking in this country won’t be easy.”
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