http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/business/tobacco-groups-win-ruling-on-graphic-cigarette-warnings.html?smid=pl-share
A proposed law requiring tobacco companies to put graphic warning labels on their packages and advertisements has been recently denied by a federal appeals court. It was a 2-to-1 decision; the FDA administered law is said to violate corporate free speech rights. The FDA has not provided any evidence that proves this method of smoking prevention is viable. It has been estimated that 45 million adults in the US smoke cigarettes. They are the leading cause of preventable death in the US and the World Health Organization predicts smoking could kill eight million people each year by 2030.
Do you believe that stricter laws need be implemented to reduce smoking? It was said that forcing tobacco companies to put graphic labels on their packages is going beyond their obligations and undermining their economical interests. Is it more important to protect the industry and their rights than the health of millions? With the increasing number of non-smoking campaigns and advertisements in the US today, would this law really make a substantial difference?
It is true that as a population we are directly affected by social media and the viewpoints of those around us, so these loud graphic labels could indeed turn many people off to cigarettes. I have seen many international cigarette packages and it seems as though overseas, graphic warning labels have already been administered. In my opinion, images like those could definitely cause a stir amongst the smokers in the US.
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