FDA unveils nine new graphic cigarette labels required in 2012

Jess Stryker

Jess Stryker

Mama said to knock you out
Full Story - http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/308218

The Food and Drug Administration — which has chosen nine such images to be placed prominently on cigarette packs sold in the USA after September 2012 — hopes they'll provide ample shock value.

In the most sweeping anti-tobacco effort since the surgeon general's warning became mandatory on cigarette packaging in 1965, the FDA said Tuesday it will begin requiring tobacco marketers to cover the top half of cigarette boxes and 20% of tobacco advertisements with nine bluntly graphic anti-smoking images.

The goal: Slash consumption among the nation's 43 million smokers and prevent millions more, especially teens, from ever starting. The FDA selected the grisly images, which include pictures of rotting teeth and gums, from 36 proposed last year. Cigarette marketers also will be required to place 1-800-QUIT-NOW numbers on new packaging.

"These labels are frank, honest and powerful depictions of the health risks of smoking," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "With these warnings, every person who picks up a pack of cigarettes is going to know exactly what risk they're taking."

The images are the biggest change to cigarette warning labels since 1984, when the government began requiring cigarette packs and tobacco ads carry several health warnings.
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So I was reading the newest USA Today a little bit ago, and came across this article. Now, I'm all for anti-smoking regulation and such, but I do think this is a bit much with the images. I do approve of the "1-800-QUIT-NOW" being added and I wouldn't argue if they made the surgeon general warning larger or whatever, but the images do seem a tad excessive. Yes, I understand they're meant to be disturbing, but there has to be something better than the images they're using, right?
 
It's too much IMO.

People smoking know it's not good for them. If they want to keep doing it that's their choice. Don't really need those pictures IMO.
 
You honestly think the lungs are hard to look at? These labels are a joke quite frankly when you compare them to the ones in use, and that have been used for years, in Canada and Australia. The FDA has specifically said the Canadian labels were used in determining the impact of these changes. The CDC has also used Canadian labels for studies. Hell, the PSAs the state of New York runs on TV are more graphic than these labels.

Edit: You're probably not even going to look at these but here are some from Brazil and Australia with Canada here.
 
[quote name='darthbudge']Are we going to put pictures of super obese people on cans of coke next?[/QUOTE]

Should put it on Diet Coke.

I love it when I see obese people eating some incredibly unhealthy food, but they have their diet coke which makes it okay.
 
[quote name='whoknows']Should put it on Diet Coke.

I love it when I see obese people eating some incredibly unhealthy food, but they have their diet coke which makes it okay.[/QUOTE]

I remember that joke too, but obviously diet coke means fewer calories and/or they're diabetic, so it kind of makes sense (not that losing weight wouldn't help the diabetes).

I don't know how effective these labels will be, but at least they make things a little more interesting.
 
Smoking is a filthy, nasty habit that is rude and inconsiderate of the surrounding people. Anything that cuts down on it is fine by me.
 
i dont smoke but wtf. Might as well put a car killing a family on every bottle of beer.

also whiel its bad for ya, a heavy smoker is vary likely to die from something else than lung cancer :)
 
[quote name='whoknows']Should put it on Diet Coke.

I love it when I see obese people eating some incredibly unhealthy food, but they have their diet coke which makes it okay.[/QUOTE]

actually a lot of that unhealthy food isn't that bad for ya compared to a big sugar dump. cokes are okay but really not for an overweight/diabetic person that has had more than their share for sugar for the day. :)
 
You can drink responsibly (cokes or alcohol). You can't smoke responsibly. It will destroy your lungs. This doesn't bother me as I don't smoke, and I know that people who do smoke will continue because they won't care about the pictures.
 
[quote name='Ziv']You can drink responsibly (cokes or alcohol). You can't smoke responsibly. It will destroy your lungs. This doesn't bother me as I don't smoke, and I know that people who do smoke will continue because they won't care about the pictures.[/QUOTE]

you sort of can if its like a cigar or like the roll up nicotine or pot(look at the Indians!). once it gets to the filter types ya i agree with ya. :)
 
[quote name='darthbudge']Are we going to put pictures of super obese people on cans of coke next?[/QUOTE]

Or pictures of gaping assholes on voting ballots?

I wish the government would stop picking on smokers and ban something that might actually make the world a better place, like rap music. Seriously, I'd rather sit next to somebody on a bus blowing smoke rings into my face than some faux hardass suburban whiteboy with a flatbrim hat and pants hanging off his ass.
 
I smoke about 6 a day (I know, I know), but its turning into such a joke how much time is spent and how many laws are passed against the act of smoking. I wish they would just outright ban the sale of tobacco already and be done with it. Its really disturbing how many corrupt business men/politians rely on tobacco revenue on the backs of their fellow men. And now that I'm in adulthood, I can clearly recognize that the strategy was always to target younger people and get them addicted early.

I may speak for myself but I'm probably going to get desensitized to the labels rather quickly. What's going to cause me to quit are the prices/taxes they slap onto cigarettes.
 
How is this going to stop people from smoking? I don't smoke, but I've never watched people I know that smoke stare at the carton (box? idk what to call it) while smoking there cig.

It would be nice to collect all 9 and add them to the videogame collection though.
 
Ha, I wouldn't be surprised if their sales spiked slightly right at the beginning from people who've gotta catch em all. :p
 
[quote name='darthbudge']are we going to put pictures of super obese people on cans of coke next?[/quote]

[quote name='whoknows']should put it on diet coke.

I love it when i see obese people eating some incredibly unhealthy food, but they have their diet coke which makes it okay.[/quote]

lmao
 
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[quote name='whoknows']It's too much IMO.

People smoking know it's not good for them. If they want to keep doing it that's their choice. Don't really need those pictures IMO.[/QUOTE]

This isn't to stop people who are already regular smokers, I'd wager. It's more aimed at deterring kids from smoking.

I'll take this shit over ridiculous smoking regulations any day. Do whatever you want to the packaging, but don't tell people where they can and cannot smoke.
 
To be honest, I'm surprised they're allowed to do that. Sure, it's the federal government, but in a world where money talks that's fairly astounding. Expect court cases from the companies against the government/fda.

Personally, I think it's great. Now they have to think of preventative measures for the electronic cigarettes and cigars as smokers may want another route than looking at those pictures as they take down the psychological cool factor in smoking with a name brand on your box. FSC and taxes damaged the cigarette enough.

By the way, see any cigarette billboards around you anytime recently? Pretty sure those are gone away with.

[quote name='Strell']This would be much more effective.[/QUOTE]

That's great.
 
[quote name='QiG']I smoke about 6 a day (I know, I know), but its turning into such a joke how much time is spent and how many laws are passed against the act of smoking. I wish they would just outright ban the sale of tobacco already and be done with it. Its really disturbing how many corrupt business men/politians rely on tobacco revenue on the backs of their fellow men. And now that I'm in adulthood, I can clearly recognize that the strategy was always to target younger people and get them addicted early.

I may speak for myself but I'm probably going to get desensitized to the labels rather quickly. What's going to cause me to quit are the prices/taxes they slap onto cigarettes.[/QUOTE]

This is either government trying to look like they're doing something or part of their phase into getting less people to smoke so that one day they can ban it. If they ban it with so many current smokers, riots would ensue.
 
I want to quit. I don't need some stupid shit on a cigarette package. The way we are treated by society and the workplace is much more potent than a picture of some guy's trach hole.
 
If someone chooses to smoke in their own home, that's one thing. The problem is when it's done too close to non-smokers who don't want to smell and breathe the second-hand smoke. Smokers have no business polluting the air for other people. That's why smoking is restricted to particular areas and being eliminated from public places. It's a public health issue, plain and simple.
 
The obesity epidemic is worse than this. The FDA should require all fast food places to put pictures of my ass on burger wrappers and fry cartons.
 
[quote name='neocisco']If someone chooses to smoke in their own home, that's one thing. The problem is when it's done too close to non-smokers who don't want to smell and breathe the second-hand smoke. Smokers have no business polluting the air for other people. That's why smoking is restricted to particular areas and being eliminated from public places. It's a public health issue, plain and simple.[/QUOTE]

That's not even the issue. In this day and age, smokers go off on their own to smoke. Away from people. Yet keep on being harassed. I always find it funny when I discover the people that piss and moan about smokers the most are raging potheads and alcoholics.
 
[quote name='crunchb3rry']That's not even the issue. In this day and age, smokers go off on their own to smoke. Away from people. Yet keep on being harassed.[/QUOTE]

Not of their own volition. They've been sent away. This sounds more like an issue of personal perception.

I always find it funny when I discover the people that piss and moan about smokers the most are raging potheads and alcoholics.
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That's quite the sweeping generalization.
 
[quote name='neocisco']Not of their own volition. They've been sent away. This sounds more like an issue of personal perception.
[/QUOTE]

It's not personal perception. My workplace is smoke free on the property, and cellphone use is prohibited inside the building. Smokers have to go off the property, but cellphone users can yap away inside the building. They enforce one rule even though there were previously isolated areas to smoke, and ignore the other rule. That's discrimination, and it's a union job, which makes it even more messed up.

That's quite the sweeping generalization.
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Well, if I know a handful of people that comment all the time about how inconsiderate smokers are, and each and every one of them smoke pot sitting next to those who do not smoke anything, it's a not a generalization. Smoking is bad...unless it's pot. More people are trying to legalize pot so they can smoke it than those trying to get smoking bans removed.
 
[quote name='crunchb3rry']That's not even the issue. In this day and age, smokers go off on their own to smoke. Away from people. Yet keep on being harassed. I always find it funny when I discover the people that piss and moan about smokers the most are raging potheads and alcoholics.[/QUOTE]
The state of Pennsylvania banned indoor smoking a while ago, following NY state's example. Unlike NY state though, PA has given exemptions to businesses 'hurt' by the smoking ban. This includes the various casinos that have popped up around the state in the last 5-6 years or so.

But what amuses me most is how the smokers have taken over the casinos in this state. There are clearly defined smoking/non smoking sections in the casinos with signs showing where each section ends. Yet you will often see the lil engines that could meandering all around the casino with not one word said to them about how their smog cloud that's following them could be affecting anyone else.

Hell. Just try and mention it to one of the smokers. They act as if you're impeding their God given right(to pollute EVERYONE's air).

This is why I would NOT go to work for the casinos here, since there is no just smoking or just non smoking section and the casino would not assign you to just one section. My health is worth more to me than some job.

I had a job offer from them at one point and they refused to assign me to the non smoking section, I had contemplated going to the local Army/Navy surplus store and buying one of the old style gas masks they had in stock to wear to work on my first day and to make a point.

But in the end I just turned down the job offer and found work elsewhere eventually.

And FYI: I'm an ex smoker myself. I quit once the prices got to be too nuts for my liking. But I can understand why some folks just can't/won't quit. It's an addiction.
 
Casinos have a lot of wiggle room though when it comes to laws. They basically get to have their own police force if it's a true Native American owned casino. The casino closest to me doesn't even have sections, you can smoke anywhere. Made it awkward for polite smokers, not having anyplace designated.

Funny enough, they not only let people smoke, they charge two arms and a leg for a pack of smokes in the vending machines. I think it was $13 for a pack of Marlboros when outside the casino you could get them for $6.
 
I wonder if this is going to affect cigar packaging at all? This is very pointless people who want to smoke are going to smoke. If they don't like looking at the picture they'll buy a cigarette case, problem solved. As far as kids are concerned the ones old enough to start getting their hands on cigarettes aren't going to care.
 
Yeah, you're pretty much right. Those pictures won't help kids. The only people that will give them a second glance are those that smoked 10+ years and feel the effects of it.

Nowhere near as many kids smoke cigarettes these days. Which I figure is the effect of those actions ages ago now to get advertisements banned from magazines. Now a magazine ads are just Absolut vodka and energy drinks (whose manufacturers hope kids will buy to mix with the vodka)
 
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