In September, the government passed a bill banning the sale of flavored cigarettes. By July 2010, the bill will phase out the ‘light’ and ‘ultra light’ labels that appear on cigarette boxes.
H.R. 1256, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, targets cigarettes with cloves – chocolate, vanilla and other flavored ingredients that apparently lure children and teenagers into smoking – and the ‘misleading’ labels that may make people think flavored cigarettes are safer to smoke.
By banning these particular kinds of tobacco products, the government believes it will cut down on the tobacco consumption of minors and maybe even the death count of lung cancer victims.
This law shows that the government believes we cannot take care of ourselves, and we are noticeably less intelligent than we think because we categorize light cigarettes as being safer than normal cigarettes.
There are few people who think cigarettes aren’t bad for you. When you make the choice to start smoking, you know what you are getting yourself into.
This law is nothing more than an attack on big tobacco companies to limit their business, but it’s a futile attempt.
Over the years, it’s been made obvious that health is not a top priority for most Americans. This is illustrated by the obesity rates of American cities. We consume things that are not healthy on a daily basis.
‘If the tobacco industry were to be completely shut down, it would be as bad as the car industry being shut down,’ Suraj Pabba, a pre-business sophomore who does not smoke, said.
The tobacco industry is powerful, whether you like it or not. People are going to smoke, even if the pack is or is not labeled light or ultra light.
This law also contradicts liberty by threatening the right that we have as Americans to choose what we consume.
As for the already-passed legislation concerning flavored cigarettes, it’s not a question of minors liking the taste of a cigarette. It’s more likely linked to a want to fit in and be cool; think peer pressure.
‘I started smoking at age 14, and never did I think of smoking a flavored cigarette. Even when I did, I thought they were terrible,’ Ryan Alam, a business administration sophomore at the University of Southern California, said.
Alam has successfully quit smoking, but feels that because flavored cigarettes are gone, people will simply replace them with something else harmful.
The major problem that comes with smoking cigarettes is the liability of becoming addicted. This is what gets many people killed all over the world.
People who look to the government for advice should know that Barack Obama quit smoking cigarettes, so they can as well.
It is difficult, but it would be useful to tell yourself that one day you will stop smoking. If nothing else, it will save you a lot of money.
Ryan Popham is a University Studies freshman and may be reached at [email protected]
