Visual Proof Cigarettes Kill..

By: Katie McCollum
In the New York Times, published on November 10th, by Gardiner Harris, federal drug regulators seek to discourage smokers with actual pictures on cigarette packs; they revealed 36 warning labels. A law passed last year which allowed the FDA to regulate tobacco products required these particular labels. Thousands of people become regular smokers and try smoking for the first time every day and hundreds of thousands of people die every year from cigarettes. Some cigarette manufacturers attempted to fight against the labels claiming that it was a violation to their free speech. The maker of USA gold cigarettes, Anthony Hemsley, believes that the graphics do not serve a purpose to make consumers aware of the risks. And, in Europe, they are seen to be much more appalling than the new ones here. Others think this is the most important change in the history of the U.S. for cigarette warning labels; our country being the first to require health warning on tobacco products. While these images may have a positive effect in stopping large populations of adolescents from purchasing cigarettes, retailers around the world and high-end tobacco shops may run into trouble. Most will display them a certain way or simply will not want the warnings around products they are making business off of.