Food & Drug Administration Bans Flavoring in Tobacco Products

"The agency will study regulating menthol products and hinted that it might soon take action"

If they try to ban the menthol, there will most likely be a vocal backlash. . . ..

This should have been done long ago, when Joe Camel was stopped.

Next, they can get the alcohol industry to stop marketing alcohol drinks that are directed to attracting young people.

(Menthol cigarettes do not actually contain fiberglass- that's an urban myth. They do, however, smell horrible)

this is a good thing.  Tobacco is a deadly drug with a high addiction rate.  It amazes me that we can ban marijuana so readily, and even had an alcohol ban, both of which are far easier to make at home, yet we continue to let tobacco plague our population.  I guess because it doesn't create dramatic impairment effects.  Perhaps we should focus more on nicotine replacement as an avenue for people who need nicotine for bad nerves and stress.

Sounds a good idea to me.

That's ridiculous.  Because people of legal age don't like flavoured cigarettes?  Cigarettes are legal.  Either leave them alone and enforce the already existing under-age sale laws or make them illegal.  Why continuously penalize adults using a product that is 100% legal?  Also, note, I am 27, agree with the public places smoking ban- I ONLY smoke flavoured cigarettes AND I did not start smoking them young.  The govt. needs to stop enforcing their will on consenting adults.

I don't have a problem with it. I didn't know however, that there were chocolate flavoured cigarettes!

I am going to have to buy my bacon-flavoured smokes from biker gangs now?

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Dear Daemonkity,

To offer a quick explanation as to why your conclusion is ill-equipped::

The government's goal/intention is NOT to "enforce their will upon consenting adults."  The secondary reason for creating such a regulation is to, "help slow the rate of addiction among young smokers, preventing disease and saving millions in health care costs down the line."  Note that this is not the primary reason.

The primary reason is to reduce overall health care costs and save millions of annual dollars in government (tax payers') money, because, you see, with so many under/non-insured citizens, somebody (government) has to pay the bill.  Smokers carry a higher percentage of health problems and hospital/doctor visits.  That's what it all comes down to is MONEY.  Not your freedom of choice, not the children's health, not to screw with the tobacco companies....their sole mission is to save money.

Now, if you're interested in an in-depth, more personal explanation as to why your conclusion is immensely flawed, please continue reading below (provided I can get something so lengthy to post).

(And now for the detailed version within several posts....too many characters for one posting)

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Dear Daemonkity (once again),

The world is not as black & white as your statement suggests that it "should" be.  There is a lot of gray area that you’re overlooking or just don’t see.

"Either leave them alone and enforce the already existing under-age sale laws or make them illegal."

There is only so much someone can do to enforce regulations.  Anti-underage smoking laws are already strongly enforced with heavy penalties.  Gov't agencies, as well as internal departments within the companies (i.e. grocery stores, convenience stores, etc.), are consistently monitoring these regulations with mystery/secret shoppers, security cameras (ensuring ID checks by employees), threat of high penalties, et cetera.  And unfortunately, it's not enough.  A new strategy needs to take place to further their mission.  Therefore, you take it to the source...the tobacco companies...and start with a new strategy, because this current one is not doing enough.
====================================================

 "Because people of legal age don't like flavoured cigarettes?"

There is not any debate arguing that adults do not enjoy flavored cigarettes. The problem is that, being statistically proven time and time again, young people are more likely to partake in something sweet tasting (i.e. the creation of wine coolers, strawberry daiquiris and other frozen concoctions, jello shots, etc.).  Therefore, the tobacco companies flavor their offensive tasting product to attract a younger crowd.  They (tobacco companies) have performed numerous studies, as well, providing them with statistical proof that the younger they hook a smoker, the more revenue they will make from that individual and the less likely that individual will ever quit smoking ( adolescent smokers = Mo' Money, Mo' Money, MO' MONEY!!!)  As it's stated in the original article, "These flavored cigarettes are a GATEWAY for many children and young adults to become regular smokers."  Keyword is "gateway".  Tobacco companies know this, and this is why they developed such a product...to increase & guarantee continued revenue.  After all, within more than a decade, millions of tax dollars have been contributed to decreasing tobacco use, which means for the tobacco companies LESS MONEY.  These tobacco companies have clever marketing departments that come up with new ways to increase their sales.  All politics aside, it's just survival of the fittest.  The tobacco companies are trying to do what it takes to survive, as well as succeed 10-fold.  You can't really knock them for trying. 
====================================================

 "Why continuously penalize adults using a product that is 100% legal?"

Do you REALLY think that the government/FDA is doing this to penalize you and other fellow adults?  Really??  If you didn't enjoy flavored cigarettes the way that you do, I'm certain that the FDA’s decision would have had no relevance to you what so ever.  You wouldn't have even cared.  The bottom line with this new strategy is to reduce the number of adolescence who begin smoking.  I assure you it's not to purposely add another discomfort to your adult "smoker's rights". 
====================================================

 "(I) agree with the public places smoking ban."

So according to this statement, the reason for this comment is to justify that what you are saying is coming from a completely rational, understanding adult...yes?  What if the government was to next regulate that there will be absolutely NO smoking in any public area including parks, streets, or outside in public areas what so ever?  Are you now going to change your original statement?  Will you still support this decision?  It will be highly unlikely that you will then support such a decision.  You will now feel that, once again, YOUR rights are being infringed on by the government.  Meanwhile, the government would not be regulating this to take away "smoker's rights"; rather, it would be to protect other people’s (i.e. non-smokers) health.  Keep this highlighted word in mind as I wrap up this commentary.
====================================================

(CONTINUED)

 "I ONLY smoke flavoured cigarettes AND I did not start smoking them young."

Please realize that you are what's known as the "exception to a rule/statistic", meaning not every circumstance will always apply.  Now, millions of dollars supplemented by our tax dollars have been invested into multiple government studies regarding the behavior of children using tobacco.  When it’s the battle of child versus tobacco, can you guess who predominantly wins?  And can you guess how they do it?  They create ingenuitive ways to make their carcinogenic poison become tasty so more young people are willing to experiment with it.  Quoted from the article, "EVERY DAY, 3,600 children and teenagers start smoking and 1,100 become daily smokers, studies show."

1 Day =      3,600 children start smoking
1 Week =   25,200 children start smoking
1 Month = 108,000 children start smoking
1 Year =    1,314,000 children start smoking

Within 5 years, the tobacco company has introduced their "fine" product to nearly 6 MILLION children.  These numbers do not even include adults who start smoking at a legal age.  These numbers still accrue even AFTER the placement of the existing, strict regulations.  So, I hope you can see how you are just 1 tiny number in a pool of MILLIONS of people.  You are the "exception".
====================================================

"The govt. needs to stop enforcing their will on consenting adults."

I truly hope that after my long-winded commentary that you’ve come to realize that the government is not out to hinder "consenting adults".  Unfortunately, due to your personal situation, you will be hindered.  However, you are also what is known as "collateral damage".  It happens in war, it happens when decisions are made in favor of one side, and it happens when rules/regulations are put into place; somebody ALWAYS gets screwed over.  I guess, once more, you can consider yourself as the "exception".  Understand that this new regulation is not created to prohibit adults from smoking; it is to" help slow the rate of addiction among young smokers, preventing disease and saving millions in health care costs down the line."  So, I hope you can see it's nothing personal.
====================================================

Do you remember a few paragraphs up where I asked you to remember a word that I highlighted…"health care"?  You may have noticed that I did it once again in the last paragraph above.  Ok, so here's the actual scoop on why the government finds deems it so important to reduce the amount of smokers in our nation.  It's not that they care about the children... it's not that they feel the need to go out of their way and waste time/money/effort to piss off the smokers of America....it's not that they want to show you who's the boss...and it most definitely not because they want to appease the non-smokers of America.  It all boils down to ONE thing....can you guess what that is?  Allow me to simplify...it all has to do with MONEY. 

(CONTINUED)

Plain and simple, government’s only agenda here is how to save the money.  It's what makes our cramped, tiny world go 'round.  And what eats up a lot of money?  Health care!  And what eats up a lot of money even faster??  People who don't have health insurance and/or live off of state-aid, because they are too incapacitated to sufficiently hold down employment thanks to some self-imposed ailment contributed from smoking many, many *fags* over decades upon decades (*just a little British slang to break the monotony*). 

So, guess who has to pay for this?  Ultimately, the tax payers, but as far as the government is concerned, THEY must pay for it.  It is their money (as far as they are concerned) that is being dipped into each time an under/non-insured, unemployed/incapacitated person needs medical treatment for an ailment created from smoking toxic-laden tobacco (which is sweetly laced with strawberry or some other yummy taste, of course!).

You see, Daemonkity, the government doesn't give a sh*t about you, at all.  They're not out to enforce any of their rules upon you and your consenting adult friends.  This was never their intent.  So don't get mad at "Big Brother" (and no...no, no, no...NOT the "reality" show) for a crime that they did not commit.  If you're going to be shaking a finger at them, at least do it for a valid reason.  Perhaps you'd like to start with the politicians who consistently receive annual raises plus bonuses and all-inclusive vacations; meanwhile the rest of America suffers in a near-depression, economical crisis and the "regular people" struggle to survive with below-poverty income, home foreclosure, and little to no health care (even if we do avoid smoking and other harmful acts and try our damnedest to take care of ourselves).

So, the moral of the story is if our government can save extra money by alleviating a few MILLION DOLLARS of annual, unpaid (may I add "preventable"?) health care bills by further regulating the tobacco companies direct contribution to this national problem, then more power to the government (regarding this cause).  Boo-effin-hoo if you can't get your flavored cigarettes anymore...dip 'em in some Fun Dip, and you might be able to get your fix.

Please, don't be so narrow-minded just because this regulation may inconvenience few, one being you.  Understand that there is a bigger picture here.  This new regulation has the ability to beneficially impact millions of people over time, including you.  If this regulation successfully reduces government-paid health care costs (mind you, MILLIONS and MILLIONS of annual dollars saved), that money can be delegated to other areas and hopefully benefit our economy (I say “hopefully” because…well…we know how the government has a tendency of “mismanaging & misappropriating” tax dollars; but let’s stay optimistic for sake of argument).  So, come on, Daemonkity; just take one for the team...Team America!     ;-) 

P.S.  I know that I just wrote, basically, a dissertation. At least I was courteous enough to offer a summarized version first. :-)

wow. This is the most crazy. Why should adults have to limit their tobacco intake to regular cigarettes. There are so many hookah bars in this country. If people want to smoke flavored tobacco, they will find a way to do so. Just because marajuana is illegal doesn't mean people won't smoke it. I think that it is just another way for this country to make more money off of the people who enjoy smoking flavored tobacco. That's the reason this country is so messed up. Every one of you stuck up politicians can't pay for you huge houses without taking more money from innocent people. Tobacco is perfectly legal and just beacause it is flavored doesn't mean it is bad. If we are free people, why are there so many petty little rules that stop us from living our own lives. I understand that rules need to be enforced to keep order in this world, but really a ban on flavored tobacco? If that's the case, they should ban tobacco all together. This country needs to stop talking about being free if everything in this country is going down hill so much that we have to ban something as little as flavored tobacco.

I only smoke flavored tobacco and they better not take it away. It is something I feel I need and if the government is going to try and tell me differently then they can go fuck themselves. Didn't they learn from the alcohol and drug bans, IT MAKES THINGS WORSE. People become criminals because they're addicted and end up obtaining the items anyways. The government just FUCKS things up for everyone, maybe one day we can get someone who isn't a complete fucking idiot. What happened to the freedoms of canada, we are well on our way to some horrible times, and the gov't makes it worse........................

Cigarettes in general are bad for your health, and could be life altering to your unborn baby...No I'm not the Surgeon General hahaa