This week, Congress voted to allow the FDA to strictly regulate cigarettes. But I won't be writing an obituary for Big Tobacco just yet. It has proven to be remarkably resilient. Just think, it's been 50 years since smoking was linked to cancer -- and we're only now getting around to regulating a product that kills over 400,000 people a year. Indeed, until now, cigarettes have been less regulated than pet food or makeup. Funny, I've never heard of anyone getting sick from secondhand eyeliner. Cigarettes are the Energizer Bunny of deadly products: they keep killing and killing and killing... Elsewhere, Kate Gosselin nailed down the Worst Mother of the Year award with the most disturbing use of water as torture since Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's 183 "sessions."
Self righteousness causes that most lethal thing of all, stress.
If you are trying to quit now, it can help to switch to American Spirit which already doesn't have the chemicals, then once you get used to those you can stop them.
I haven't heard anything, but will the president support this? HAS HE QUIT SMOKING?? [I'm a Obama fan, so don't take it as criticism for him.....I'm just curious if he's ever kicked the habit]. Won't it be funny if a SMOKER puts his signature on this bill????????
I fully support that smokers should be free
to kill themselves in any way they want,
without government interference.
That won't work, however.
What makes regulation necessary
is that society and the Taxpayer ends up paying
the staggering medical costs for suicidal smokers
and those.injured by second hand smoke.
This cost is not affordable
.
What are your thoughts on banning cigarettes?
If they cause so much physical damage, why are they not removed for sale?
How do you think the tobacco companies manage to prevail?
Personally, I don't like smoking - I even wrote a book on the subject (http://thedoublemessage.com/). But, my relationship with tobacco, especially if challenging, is integral to my experience of freedom and responsibility. The declaration of Independence talks about the pursuit of happiness--as an individual defines happiness, not protection from the self for possible missteps in that pursuit.
So how come it isn't on the FDA list?
The government picks and chooses what it wants to regulate and how and this picking and choosing of things that are legal but have major drawbacks is just a bit much for my taste.
To quote Wild Bill Hickock: Let me go to hell in my own way, please.
I just don't agree with the continued and seemly never ending big brother bullsht. The FDA is just another ineffective trip all over itself, self congratulatory gov't failure.
If people want to smoke let them. I guarantee they will anyway. Just tax it and put the money in a health fund so the rest of us don't have to pay the health bills. Obesity is another health drain lets regulate eating, and oh to much air makes you dizzy so lets regulate that too, when is enough enough.
Lets regulate bad hair, body order, bad posture, twinkies- sht they kill, fertilizer, window spray; etc,etc where does it end -- IT DOESN"T!!!
Regulation isn't the answer never has been - EDUCATE and let people make their own choices. Good or bad. Hasn't the gov't learned you can't legislate or regulate much of anything effectively.
Guess not.......
I hate the tobacco companies, but; I hate big brother more.
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
-highway carnage
-broken homes
-spousal abuse
-business losses(lost time at work)
-cost to health-care.....
"Funny, I've never heard of anyone getting sick from secondhand eyeliner."
Funny, I've never heard of anyone lighting a cigarette and mowing down an innocent family
standing in a bus shelter.
Also if the banning of advertising works,why is there a war on drugs.