After 25 years of the same warning messages, the Food and Drug Administration is making some big changes. The new labels will include graphic images of people suffering the negative effects of tobacco use. Some show dead bodies, rotting teeth, diseased lungs and a man smoking through a tracheotomy.
The new labels must be on cigarette packages and in advertisements starting in October 2012 and will cover half of both the front and the back of the packaging.
The bold-type messages will be pretty hard to miss and that’s the objective of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. Sebelius said their goal is to stop children from starting to smoke and offer adults who want to quit some help. "We have about 4,000 people under 18 who try their first cigarette and about 1,000 of them become permanent smokers. And that's not good for our country," she told the CBS "Early Show."
"This is really aimed at making sure kids don't start in the first place." At DrugFreeAz.org, we couldn't agree more. The ads are only part of the picture. Parents, this is a great opportunity to discuss the risks of smoking, drinking and using drugs with your kids. Ask them what they think of the ads. It’s a great way to get the conversation started. For more conversation tips check out the Talk with Your Kids section under the PARENTS button on the menu bar.
Images: FDA Cigarette Warning Labels
