Written by Guest Blogger Kim Hageman, author of Surviving Oshkosh
On February 29th, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon passed a ruling to block the implementation of the FDA's new graphic labels on cigarettes, going into place September 2012. While this ruling will not be the final word on the new graphic labels, it is just another attempt on the part of Big Tobacco to prevent the public from understanding the real dangers presented by the use of tobacco products.
A recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control found that smokers in countries using similar graphic labels, (Brazil, Mexico, Poland and Russia), were more likely to want to quit as a result of the labels. The labels will be very large, covering half of the cigarette package. Large labels and picture warnings have been proven to be effective in discouraging smoking.
Within the state of Wisconsin, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death. In our state alone, the tobacco industry spends $233 million in marketing to promote their very dangerous products. Nearly 8,000 Wisconsin kids become daily smokers as a result of their effort. It is important to remember this is just one ruling, but it is a part of a continued effort by Big Tobacco to attempt to block the FDA from doing what needs to be done to inform people of the truth about the use of tobacco products.
For more information on this ruling go to:
1 comment:
As for me, I appreciate the warning labels used outside the states and would eagerly welcome use of them here. Why sugar coat tar?
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