World No Tobacco Day

Good Lung        Smoker’s Lung

There is no debating that continued tobacco use is hazardous to your health. Using tobacco can cause numerous types of cancer, emphysema, heart disease, gastric and oral disorders, and a host of other diseases that are too many to name.

For many years, tobacco companies were able to market cigarettes and other tobacco products as glamorous and cool. As a matter of fact, there is actually a pack of cigarettes called “Kool.”

I once received coupons for cigarettes in the mail.

Now, there is U.S. legislation that seeks to regulate the marketing of tobacco products. A bill passed in the House that would restrict candy-flavored cigarettes and the marketing of tobacco products. It also would ban tobacco companies from saying that “mild” or “low-tar” cigarettes are less harmful. Warning labels will be required to be larger on cigarette cartons. This bill is waiting on approval from the U.S. Senate.

For those of you that may be wondering why it is wrong for tobacco companies to market a certain type of cigarette as low tar or mild, here is the reason. Persons that smoke low tar or mild cigarettes tend to smoke more cigarettes and inhale more deeply than those that do not smoke low tar or mild cigarettes.

I think that this legislation may not deter long-term smokers from smoking, but it will definitely affect those who are considering picking up the habit and those who have only been smoking for a short period of time.

What do you think? Do you think that larger warning labels will persuade people to stop smoking? Do you think that the government should ban candy-flavored cigarettes?