I don’t smoke cigarettes. I’m not a cigarette smoker.
Yes, I’ve had a drunk cigarette every now and then but who hasn’t? That doesn’t make me a cigarette smoker though. Mastering the ancient art of saying ‘yes’ when somebody asks you to come smoke a cigarette with them after you’d had a few too many to drink is just part of the yuppie lifestyle. Bottom line is, I’ve never bought a pack of cigarettes, which is exactly what the FDA wants apparently.
Despite you all being yuppie dilemma readers, fancy-ass educations and all, if you were born before 1990 I would hope that you probably have a decent understanding of the risks involved with smoking bogies on the regular. We’re from an era that has seen Surgeon General warnings added to packaging, watched videos in health class, witnessed the legal purchasing age increase…er, TheTruth.com…oh yeah, and seen Surgeon General warnings labels get even bigger. That being said, we’re also from the era of candy cigarettes, so the FDA is taking no chances on the youth to come.
Starting in September 2012, ALL cigarette packaging and ads will get a tad bit realer, by law. How real, you ask? ::points down::
While some of these images are undoubtedly more powerful than others, its unarguably a huge advancement with regards to the anti-smoking efforts here in the U.S.. But it also raises an important question for me:
Is it the government’s role to be placing images on product packages in the first place?
Don’t get me wrong. If I could have every last one of my friends who smoke on a regular basis quit, I would. Not only that, but I’m more than happy that Tobacco companies have retired OG’s like Joe Camel that marketed mostly toward children. But something about having the FDA hiring graphic designers to put scary pictures on a product that people willingly buy has the spidey sense on full chirp. Like I said, we most of us know smoking is addictive and can kill you, and while I spent a good portion of my lifetime smoking eating candy cigarettes, I’ve never bought a pack.
But then again, I’ve never lost a love one to the after effects of smoking.
But enough of what I think, I wanna hear from the readers. How do you feel about the FDA’s new labels? Is it good for us as a society? Sound off in the comment section.
-MillsyF
