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Flavored Cigarettes Banned by FDA
The FDA took a giant step toward tobacco regulation yesterday by banning the sale of flavored cigarettes, including the popular clove variety.
The new law, which is aimed at protecting children, makes illegal the sale of any cigarette that’s flavored with fruit or candy flavors — like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
Most smokers say they began smoking when they were teens, and studies show that teens are three times as likely to smoke flavored cigarettes than young adults are. The FDA says that flavored cigarettes entice kids, who might not realize how easy it is to become addicted.
“Flavored cigarettes attract and allure kids into lifetime addiction,” Assistant Secretary of Health Howard Koh said in a statement. “FDA’s ban on these cigarettes will break that cycle for the more than 3,600 young people who start smoking daily.”
Future bans could include menthol cigarettes and small, flavored cigars. Over the next two years, the FDA plans to aggressively act against marketing tobacco products to kids.
I had friends in high school who smoked clove cigarettes, believing them to be “not real cigarettes” and therefore not as dangerous as the real thing, so I’m nodding my head here thinking, “Yeah, this is probably a good thing.” What do you think?
Photo: Valentin.Ottone, Flickr
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Bec commented on Sep 23 09 at 11:59 amI know adults who smoke clove cigarettes. Are they totally and completely banned now? More illegal than guns and alcohol? Wow… I guess personal responsibility is overrated. Because we all know, only children like sweets or flavors.
snarky mama commented on Sep 23 09 at 12:30 pmSo, I started smoking cloves, when I was 17. Not because they smelled good, or because I thought they were less “real” or addictive than regular cigarettes. I started because the job I had that summer would allow people to take smoke breaks whenever, but wouldn’t allow non-smokers to do the same.
I ended smoking regular cigarettes after awhile, and continued smoking until I was 23. It’s been 8 years and I am still not smoking.
But still, this is total BS. Even 14 years ago, I knew cloves cigarettes were bad for me. Everyone knows cigarettes are bad. Bec is right, personal responsibility is overrated. Maybe now I can sue the government for not banning clove cigarettes earlier…
patricia commented on Sep 23 09 at 1:07 pm@snarky, I *almost* started smoking in college for the same reason. I smoked a few weeks and then came to my senses, unaddicted, fortunately, but it was because I wanted the same breaks that the smokers got (exorbitantly more than non-smokers). Even at the time I knew smoking was bad for me, but it didn’t register (for a few weeks) how much worse that was than not having the same breaks. Just the workings of an 18 year old mind, I guess, and why I’m not sure banning is useful, beyond the personal responsibility arguments with which I agree. If a kid is going to smoke, they are going to smoke, regardless of flavoring.
Aaron commented on Sep 23 09 at 1:26 pmthis is some crap. i mean, responsible adults should not be punished for what some kids do and what their parents allow them to do. does this mean that menthols are banned as well? and i agree with Patricia. kids will smoke regardless of flavor. i know that my group of friends in school smoked regular, unflavored cigarettes. you’ve got to love our hypocrite government>> we have the freedom to do what we want…but only if they feel you are responsible. what is the purpose of regulating what age you can drink and smoke, if they are going to continue to treat the country like children well into adulthood?
Lee commented on Sep 23 09 at 6:32 pmAaron – Menthol is not currently banned but the FDA is considering adding it to the list of banned flavors.
Pablo Escobar commented on Sep 23 09 at 9:31 pmA cartoon on the next logical step for the cigarette companies to keep going after kids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiV6NI_TbTI
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