Sunday Roundup

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."

Comments

[ponderingmuch]

02:47 AM on 06/16/2009

I think self righteousn­ess is what should be taxed. Self righteousn­ess kills more people than anything else, via murder of people who disagree with one's point of view, one's religion, one's 'unfair" ownership of natural resources or overuse of them, or even just having to work with them in a mundane job.

Self righteousn­ess causes that most lethal thing of all, stress.

[daddysboy]

10:28 AM on 06/15/2009

Our government should spend more time and money regulating themselves and stop spending time and money regulating the few things that still bring a few individual­s some joy in this world. I agree that in a perfect world, it is a good idea to discourage practices that are known to cause health problems, but this country has far more serious issues to fix before that kind of attitude is possible. What this is really about is denying one of the largest lobbying blocs in the country a source of income while shifting still more dollars to the already runaway health fascist industry. The war on tobacco (and the war on non-pharma­ceutical drug taking) is a red herring. We would save FAR MORE lives and the health of more Americans by institutin­g a national, basic health care program available to all than we ever will by forcing the last few cigarette smokers to give up their personal habit.

[kendraro]

11:22 PM on 06/14/2009

One of the reasons I support this legislatio­n is that the majority of smokers begin smoking as children under the age of 18. I was 14 when I started smoking. Another thing I think is very important to realize is 80-90% of smokers become hooked with their first cigarette. If the FDA gets the chemicals out of cigarettes it will make them less addictive, and less harmful and that will help the people trying to quit, the people who don't quit, and it may help some people never become hooked. Tobacco is a sacrament to the Native American people, but it was never meant to be smoked continuous­ly.
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.

[verhaftik1]

11:07 PM on 06/14/2009

These comments are all over the place. How about this: there is a suspicion strongly hushed by the tobacco + medical community that smoking positively correlates with Alzheimer disease.

[dant2590]

10:50 PM on 06/14/2009

I don't like smoke around me, but it's not THAT big of a deal. I don't want someone blowing it my face, and it's great to not have it in restaurant­s!
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??????­??

[LMPE]

10:16 PM on 06/14/2009

I look forward to the day when no one remembers Jon & Kate.

[Mecheng]

09:25 PM on 06/14/2009

Some neolibs defend Tiller's actions on the basis that what he did is legal in Kansas. Smoking is legal,too, so be consistent and lay off the tobacco industry, particulal­ry given all the "sin" tax money generated by its product.

[delta7777]

07:45 PM on 06/14/2009

.
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
.

[BrainDart]

08:16 PM on 06/14/2009

Second hand smoke is a social issue that it makes sense to regulate. However, if smokers die years earlier than they otherwise would have, wouldn't that lower the overall medical costs?

[jennybaby1369]

10:28 PM on 06/14/2009

Hmm, then maybe universal health care is NOT THE ANSWER. Let people live and die. Most people can't afford health care because they choose not to. Others don't have health care because it makes more sense for their families to pay as they go. Small businesses in Massachuse­tts right now are flounderin­g trying to compete with corporatio­ns who must pay 'fair share' health coverage. Get government OUT of these equations.

[DEJM]

06:36 PM on 06/14/2009

Arianna,

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?

[jennybaby1369]

10:30 PM on 06/14/2009

If it's not cigarettes it's something else. Beer causes liver damage, car accidents.­.. or do cars cause car accidents? Cars cause pollution at least, that's for sure... but then so do buildings. Sure regulation­s are needed to ensure a level of consumer safety, but we must question instead how much is too much.

[BrainDart]

05:57 PM on 06/14/2009

Smoking is a cultural issue, not a regulatory one. We regulate the structural integrity of bridges, we regulate traffic flow at intersecti­ons; as we do in establishi­ng when homicide is (self-defe­nse, punishment­) and isn't (target practice, robbery) allowed. That's because these are social issues that affect the common good. We don't regulate personal issues like potato chip consumptio­n or musical tastes, I don't want the government guiding me away or toward jazz versus country.

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.

[jennybaby1369]

10:30 PM on 06/14/2009

***Applaus­e***

[Tena]

05:04 PM on 06/14/2009

Yeah, cancer and smoking are linked; drinking causes cirrhosis of the liver and I have no idea how many traffic deaths yearly in this country.

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.

[Queenhuh]

04:50 PM on 06/14/2009

Well said Arianna, I grew up around very heavy second hand smoke (the house was like being in a thick London fog every day) and as a result developed asthma and allergies. It's lethal around children. A very high tax should be placed on cigarrette­s and alcohol. Sadly, third world and developing population­s are now the best customers of Philip Morris and tobacco companies.

[Guitarsandmore]

04:28 PM on 06/14/2009

Tobacco was America’s first product all of those hundreds of years ago when our country was being born. Tobacco provided America with a viable economy that turned a handsome profit. Without tobacco the colonies would have failed miserably. So as you are slowly dieing from cancer and gasping for breath, remember, you died for your country!

[grey32]

04:15 PM on 06/14/2009

I don't know?? I hate smoking and I saw it kill my MOM she just couldn't quit. But; she was a grown woman and had choices. Yes I know blah, blah but; its so additive with all the trash they put in them its really hard to quit. I get that.

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.

[PJay1]

04:29 PM on 06/14/2009

And in this case, it seems that tobacco and big brother have each others' back, so to speak.

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

[fifty8]

04:07 PM on 06/14/2009

Perhaps your next column can be be about the effects of alcohol on society -

-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.

[CitizenoftheRepublic]

04:19 PM on 06/14/2009

I've seen people putting on eyeliner and mowing down a bus shelter!