Health officials unveil graphic tobacco warning labels

The Chicago Tribune ^ | June 21, 2011 | Reuters

[re_tail20]

Dead bodies, diseased lungs and a man on a ventilator were among the graphic images for revamped tobacco labels unveiled on Tuesday by U.S. health officials.

Proposed in November under a law that put the multibillion-dollar tobacco industry under the control of the Food and Drug Administration, the new labels must be on cigarette packages and in advertisements starting in October 2012.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg were to announce the nine new warnings at the White House, but the labels were released early Tuesday at

http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteWarningLabels/default.htm.

They show images that may disturb some, including one titled "WARNING: Cigarettes are addictive," illustrated with a photograph of a man smoking a cigarette through a hole in his throat.

Others messages point out the dangers of secondhand smoke to children, tobacco's causal link to fatal lung disease, cancer, strokes, heart disease and death.

Sebelius said their goal is to stop children from starting to smoke and offer adults who want to quit some help.

"We have about 4,000 people under 18 who try their first cigarette and about 1,000 of them become permanent smokers. And that's not good for our country," she told the CBS "Early Show."

"This is really aimed at making sure kids don't start in the first place."

[pnh102]

... when they do make the connection that there's a huge loss of tax revenue because people are either smoking less or quitting ...

Indeed. I'll add to this that a lot of frustrated smokers also purchase "clandestinely" from Indian reservations or neighboring states with lower smokes taxes, or, they roll their own.

I've always taken a bit of a guilty pleasure in giving the government "exactly what it wants" as a means of protesting such laws. For example, I've never smoked, but I would never take up the habit simply because of the taxes involved. But this goes to things like always stopping at red lights with the cameras, no matter how much of a pain in the ass it is, or slowing down through speed camera enforcement zones, just so I do not get a ticket. Once bag taxes take effect here, I plan to simply not use grocery bags when I shop, or I just bring extra bags I have laying around, just so I do not pay a single penny more in tax.

[fruser1]

How about posting pictures of AIDS patients outside of gay bars?

[Joe 6-pack]

How about pictures of car accident victims on the dashboard of every new GM car?

[Sacajaweau]

Prohibition didn't work...It was a womens issue but a man thing.

Just like liquor, they won't outlaw it at a Federal Level. And it's a cash cow for most states.

Again...It was a womens issue...that they turned into a health issue....that they turned into a childrens isuue all "to control the masses"

Time to put diseased livers on liquor bottles, aortas bursting on chip bags...

[jurroppi1]

Yeah, I hear you. I was hoping the sarcasm in my post would translate well (did you take it in a way other than was meant/was my sarcasm about liking that pic not evident?).

[Moleman]

LMAO