President signs new Tobacco law

[Cyborg009]

Justice prevails!

US President Barack Obama has signed into law America's strongest anti-smoking measure ever, saying it will save lives.The US Food and Drug Administration now has new powers to regulate the content and marketing of tobacco products.

Hailed as a milestone in the history of tobacco regulation, the bill was passed by Congress earlier this month.

About one in five Americans smoke and some 440,000 die each year of smoking-related illnesses.

Mr Obama said in the White House Rose Garden: "When I ran for president, I did so because I believed that... it was possible for us to bring change to Washington."
He added: "Today, despite decades of lobbying and advertising by the tobacco industry, we passed a law to help protect the next generation of Americans from growing up with a deadly habit that so many of our generation have lived with."

Tougher regulation was stiffly opposed by the industry and tobacco's political backers.

Before now, tobacco was more lightly regulated than cosmetics or pet food, and previous attempts at FDA regulation were struck down by the Supreme Court as requiring congressional approval.


The law empowers the FDA to:
-Limit nicotine levels - though not banning nicotine or cigarettes entirely
-Attempt to limit the appeal of smoking among young people by limiting the use of flavours, restricting advertising in publications targeting young people, and banning outdoor tobacco advertising within 1,000 feet (300m) of schools
-Require tobacco companies to get FDA approval for new products
-Bar terms such as "light" or "mild" in tobacco packaging which imply a smaller risk to health, and introduce graphic new health warnings of packets

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that FDA regulation could reduce underage smoking by 11% over the next decade, and adult smoking by 2%.
Paying for the new regulation is likely to end up adding to the cost of cigarettes.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Obama signs tobacco bill into law

[Ulti]

What does justice have to do with this?

[Watson]

More tobacco regulations?

Sweet.

And People

Spoilers

Katsuno_Hitomi

think he's the anti-christ.

[The Pinwheel]

I still don't think this will significantly help.

[Pelafina]

This crosses the line of 'infringing on my personal rights', I think.

Regulations for smoking in public places are one thing, but this is too far.

[The Lionheart]

We're gonna run out of room on this earth if we don't have anything to kill us off.

[Vandread]

Originally Posted by Pelafina

This crosses the line of 'infringing on my personal rights', I think.

Regulations for smoking in public places are one thing, but this is too far.

I don't quite see how really. It's not as if he has banned them outright, he's just given them a few more rules to go by. I don't think this will really do a whole lot to the smoking industry. A tobacco tax, or a higher one if there's one already, on the other hand would most likely do more.

[.:[Kazuma]:.]

Heres my thing if they want to smoke let em. Thats their decision and their life. just don't smoke the shit indoors. They know the risk they just love it too much.

[Pelafina]

Originally Posted by Vandread

I don't quite see how really. It's not as if he has banned them outright, he's just given them a few more rules to go by.

Rules that, in my opinion at least, are largely unnecessary (flavored papers, etc.) or are going to be easily circumvented by the tobacco industry.

[Vandread]

Originally Posted by .:[Kazuma]:.

Heres my thing if they want to smoke let em. Thats their decision and their life. just don't smoke the shit indoors. They know the risk they just love it too much.

That's pretty much how I am. If they want to let them, though I'd personally rather they not. So long as it's not around me, I don't care.

Though, if it's a family member or friend, I'd ask them to try to quit.

[Lifes.Lover]

While I'm all for more regulations, I can see my sister bitching about it later on. She acts as though none of our grandparents died from smoke related illnesses.

I think this is a good step, but it won't do much to really regulate it and statistics for the future are stupid. They can't say that it'll decrease underage smoking by 11% in the next decade.

While I don't like smoking, and I don't like people smoking around me or kids, I do worry about what this might do to the economy.

If they actually were able to ban smoking and cigarettes, think of how many companies would go out of business. All of those jobs would be lost.

[The Lionheart]

I don't approve of smoking at all, but the big thing here (in tejas amigos) in of course dip or chew.

My dad chews and we (meaning my family) have tried to get him off of it for awhile. I like the law, I'm glad they're making it harder for people to use tobacco as a whole. My family has a long tobacco history, and hopefully this will make it a little harder for us to continue.

And earlier post was for the lulz, sorry guys.

[Neo]

Originally Posted by Vandread

Though, if it's a family member or friend, I'd ask them to try to quit.

Quitters never prosper.

I guess this is not too bad, people will still smoke obviously and yeah people should smoke if they want to, its their choice to do so.

They know the risks of smoking!

[Alaude Drenxta]

Harassing me about my smoking can be hazardous to your health.

[krexia]

-Attempt to limit the appeal of smoking among young people by limiting the use of flavours, restricting advertising in publications targeting young people, and banning outdoor tobacco advertising within 1,000 feet (300m) of schools

Hang on, you mean advertising cigarettes is actually still allowed in the USA? Seriously?