F.D.A. Unveils Unsexy Cigarette Labels
Nov-11-2010

The F.D.A. presented 36 potential cigarette warning labels yesterday, in an effort to paint smoking as an unsexy and dangerous habit, reports The New York Times.



The advertisements cover half of the surface area of a carton of cigarettes, and include designs such as a toe tag on a corpse and a mother puffing smoke on her baby.

The labels are required under a law passed last year that gave the F.D. A. the power to regulate, but not ban, tobacco products for the first time. Public health officials hope that the new labels will re-energize the nation's antismoking efforts, which have stalled in recent years. About 20.6 percent of the nation's adults, or 46.6 million people, and about 19.5 percent of high school students, or 3.4 million teenagers, are smokers. Every day, about 1,000 children and teenagers become regular smokers, and 4,000 try smoking for the first time. About 440,000 people die every year from smoking-related health problems, and the cost to treat such problems exceeds $96 billion a year.

"Today marks an important milestone in protecting our children and the health of the American public," said Kathleen Sebilus, the secretary of health and human services.

Posted by Clay Kohut at 12:43 AM - Link to this entry  |  Share this entry  |  Print