FDA Approves Cigarette Labels With Disturbing Images
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 8:25In an effort to dissuade US citizens from smoking, the Food and Drug Association has approved nine images that many in the health industry have described as shocking. For years, doctors and government officials have warned of the negative impact that smoking has on health. From public service announcements to full fledged campaigns, the number of smokers in the US keeps rising with each generation.
Starting in September of 2012, cigarette manufacturers will have to put one of the nine images approved by the FDA on the front of each pack of cigarettes. The pictures, which include images of smokers with tracheotomies, will take up a substantial portion of each cigarette box. While the tobacco industry fight defiantly to stop the images from appearing on cigarettes, many in the health care industry think that they will have little effect on smokers.
The FDA is hopeful that the images will prevent people from developing a smoking habit in the first place. A few case studies have shown that current smokers are not heavily impacted by seeing graphic images, but non-smokers have a more intense reaction. Now that several anti-smoking laws have been introduced, health professionals believe that smoking might be outlawed sometime in the next 20 or so years. Smoking has become more expensive due to state lawmakers applying steep tobacco taxes, and smoking in public is illegal in several major cities. There are some people that will not ever stop smoking because they are so heavily addicted, but the new initiative might help to save the lives of those that pay attention.
