Realistic Images Released by FDA

On Tuesday, the FDA had released graphic images in a major effort in attempts to have Americans stop lighting up. The nine graphic images are to appear on all cigarette packs no later than September 2012. This is the first time in twenty-five years that a major advancement of this kind has been made to warn the American public about the dangerous of cigarette smoking. The labels will fill the top half of cigarette packs. These new warnings are predicted to hold a major impact by lessening the numbers of Americans smoking, save lives, longer life expectancy, and decrease medical costs.

Among the graphic images is a man smoking a cigarette through a tracheotomy hole in his throat, and pictures of lungs before smoking and after. Captions will also appear on the packages such as "Cigarettes are addictive". In addition to the graphics and captions will be a toll free number 1-800-QUIT-NOW. This number will provide help for those who smoke and wish to quit.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius had released the following in a news release "President Obama is committed to protecting our nation's children and the American people from the dangers of tobacco use".

Just last year with the approval of Congress, the FDA in November 2010, had released information that the agency will require new images. Initially, 36 proposed images were up for consideration. After the FDA had examined scientific literature, over 1,700 comments from the public and a study which had involved 18,000 people, the final nine images had been selected.

Public health authorities and advocates of stop smoking have praised this new move as a turning point against tobacco in the United States. John R. Seffrin, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society had remarked in a statement about these new labels of having the possibility of having encouragement for adults to give up their addiction to cigarettes and keep children from ever starting the habit of smoking.

Already around thirty other countries have the requirement of graphic warnings such as Brazil. Canada in had required graphic warnings in 2000 and is the first country to do so, has seen remarked decline in cigarette smoking.

There is a raising question of these images being too graphic. Dr. Jonathan Whiteson, director of the Cardiac and Pulmonary Wellness and Rehabilitation Program at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, expresses his views on these new graphic images.

Dr. Whiteson feels these images can lose their strength because in time we become unaffected to negative warnings. Most often people hide behind denial by simply viewing it as something that can not happen to them.

Dr. Whiteson idea for children to not start smoking seems very logical when dealing with the youth of America, simply make smoking not cool.

Smoking is the leading and preventable cause of early death in the United States.

Currently the FDA has placed restrictions on the use of terms such as "light" and has prohibited the use of fruit, candy and spice flavorings. They are even considering banning the sale of menthol cigarettes.

The question which remains is will this help Americans to quit smoking or does it open another door of controversy not only one's right to choice but also in other product areas like cosmetics, fertilizer or just about any product you can think of. Where does this leave advertising for cigars? Will they also be imposed to have graphic images on their products?

We as Americans will just have to wait and see if these images do really help Americans to stop smoking or is it another negative warning we just get use to and eventually just ignore.

For the FDA warning on cigarettes and images you can view the site online FDA Cigarette Health Warnings.

Sources:

U.S. News

Washington Post