I stand for tobacco education.
Currently the U.S. government is trying to force tobacco companies to put graphic photos on cigarette packs to demonstrate the dangers of smoking. However, tobacco companies do not want the federal government’s food and drug rules to target the marketing and sale of their tobacco products. It is in the best interest for the future health of Americans to be fully educated of the dangers of tobacco before starting up the habit.
The photos that the federal government wants to place on the cigarette packs would display the damage cigarettes can cause to the body. Some will show rotten teeth due to tobacco use, some will show lung damage, and some will show tracheotomy holes in people’s throats. The purpose of these images would be to bring awareness to the public for the health risks that tobacco causes.
The cigarette companies don’t want the photos because they believe it will serve to convince people to not buy their product. The companies think that the government wants the pictures in order to promote their non-smoking interest which will interfere with tobacco marketing.
However, the ultimate goal is to demonstrate the safety hazards cigarettes pose. Other pharmaceutical drugs have warning labels on them for side-affects the products have. The pictures serve no different purpose; they just act as a visual aid to demonstrate what the effects of smoking look like.
It is perfectly just for the government to put safety pictures on cigarette packs. Because there are health risks associated with cigarettes, it should be the government’s obligation to demonstrate those risks to protect the public and educate them the dangers of the product they may end up using. The pictures merely serve as a visual aid for the risks associated with smoking, and they are not there to stop the public from buying cigarettes. People that already smoke will continue to smoke, but the pictures will help people make an informed decision if they want to pursue smoking or not.
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://legaltimes.typepad.com/
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