A New Law will decrease the Tobacco Risk
Anti-tobacco advocates reported that the government should initiate a law to regulate the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products. But such legislation must be approved by US President Barack Obama.
Under the law, the US Food and Drug Administration will form a new agency called the Tobacco Oversight Center for to control tobacco products.
The new agency will have the right to: require that cigarettes be so bad tasting or so weak that few smokers would want to light them up; to cut the amount of addictive nicotine; interdict tobacco flavorings like cherry, chocolate and licorice, which attract kids and other first-time smokers; and demand graphic images on packets to make the product disgusting.
These all regulations could also restrict new tobacco products for the market and limit tobacco advertising to dull, black and white texts.
Even though tobacco products kill half of their users, the Food and Drug Administration would not have the power to prohibit absolutely the sale of tobacco as these could send smokers to a black market to get cigarettes.
Even Obama, a smoker also, has said that he finds it difficult to quit.
In the US, where tobacco is a $ 90 billion-a-year industry and 20 percent of the population smokes, the Congressional Budget Office thinks that the law would cut smoking among children and teenagers by 11% and among adults by two percent.
The new legislation was supported not only by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an anti-smoking organization based in Washington, but also by Altria, the largest US Tobacco Company, which owns Philip Morris and produces the top Marlboro brand of cigarettes. Nevertheless, it was opposed by the other half-dozen cigarette companies that produce or sell their products in the US.
Amos Hausner, Israel’s leading smoke-free advocate, explained: “The danger to health is inherent to tobacco products. But if there is regulation by the authorities, smokers could think they’re not so bad”.
He added also that if Israel wanted to implement a similar policy, “we don’t need the US law, because since 1993, Israel has had pharmaceutical regulations that give the health minister the power to issue regulations regarding consumer products that endanger health – and cigarettes are included. The health minister can demand changes by the manufacturer and even prohibit sale.”
The ministry fears that the Treasury would not give it funding for a unit to control and regulate tobacco products, even if a law to this effect were passed. But it is important that nicotine content in tobacco products can be regulated by the government.
