New cigarette labels released to deter smokers
Editor’s Note: Please note the concluding sentence of this article: “It will remain unclear as to whether or not such a law will even pass until its Supreme Court hearing, as speech rights are typically highly protected.” Who is to decide which legally sanctioned products are to be subject to vendettas by the US government?
USD Vista
As finals are fast approaching, there is a rise in the tendency to see students smoking on campus. It’s a quick stress reliever, and frankly, it’s something to temporarily get students’ minds off of whatever they are engulfed in studying. Once students catch a glimpse of the new cigarette warning labels that are being enacted by the Food and Drug Administration, they may think twice about asking someone for a light. The FDA said it is requiring that “half of each pack of cigarettes must include images on the front and back containing various images from diseased lungs and rotting teeth, to even what appears to be a corpse of a smoker,” according to NPR.
If the large images do not manage to catch smokers’ attention, the FDA hopes that smokers will take notice of the new warning labels that will include, “Smoking Can Kill You” and “Cigarettes Cause Cancer.” With these new labels, the United States government is trying to force cigarette manufacturers to further warn consumers of the dangers of smoking, since they have been notorious for misleading consumers in the past.
With regard to the politics involved with the enactment of this new law, the FDA has said that its aim is to have “large, graphic warning labels to scare smokers, but tobacco companies say that violates their right to free speech,” according to NPR. The question regarding possible “free speech” infringement is being evaluated and started in a federal appeals court in Washington DC on Tuesday, April 10. The ultimate decision on the regulations imposed will be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court. It will be a long time before a definitive decision is reached.
In the meantime, the FDA officials and the tobacco companies are refusing to discuss the case at hand. However, even though they are not talking, many others are voicing their opinions.
As 90 percent of all smokers start before the age of 18, “these warning labels could give peer-pressured teens a way to justify saying ‘no’ to smoking,” Dr. Moran, chair of the communication studies department at USD, said. With regard to the effectiveness of these labels, Dr. Moran said that, “previous evidence supports that when campaigns such as these begin, fewer kids start smoking.” Moran said, “It’s hard to determine which elements of the anti-smoking campaign are truly successful with multiple media distribution.”
With regard to the consequences of smoking, the Center for Disease Control reported that “More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides and murders combined.” The CDC has also reported that “cigarette smoking accounts for an estimated 443,000 deaths or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States.”
Considering these statistics, Andy Thompson, a senior at USD, said that “warning labels would be an effective deterrent. Cigarette use needs to be fought by any means necessary, because they are so addictive and so deadly.”
“People can make their own decisions about whether or not to smoke, but they deserve to have accurate information on the consequences before they make that choice,” Madeline Vann, a senior at USD said.
Overall, these campaigns and labels are unlikely to change the minds of those who already smoke. Rather, the bigger aim is to reach those who are on the fence, with teens and young adults particularly in mind. It will remain unclear as to whether or not such a law will even pass until its Supreme Court hearing, as speech rights are typically highly protected.
