Dear Readers,

 

Whether you are a smoker, reformed smoker or one of those fortunate souls who has managed to resist the seductive lure of the cigarette, you most likely have an opinion on the government’s plan to regulate tobacco. Certainly, we are all aware of the health consequences not just for those who smoke, but also, for those who have repeated and prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke.

 

On June 20, President Obama signed into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1256), a sweeping piece of legislation that will forever change the landscape of the tobacco industry and its position in society, by granting power to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate all tobacco products .

 

The new law will impose strict controls on both the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products. Specifically, the law gives the FDA the authority to: require tobacco product manufacturers to disclose all ingredients in products; approve or ban newly proposed tobacco products; prohibit the use of terms, such as “light,” “mild” and “low tar”; further restrict advertising and promotion of tobacco products; eliminate flavorings, such as clove and menthol; require larger, graphic warning labels on cigarette packs; and adopt standards to regulate hazardous chemicals in existing tobacco products. Additionally, the FDA can impose fees on the tobacco industry to pay for its oversight activities—and I’m sure you smokers can guess who will be paying for that one.

 

Things weren’t always so grim for the tobacco industry, as cigarettes enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the post-World War generation, with per capita cigarette consumption in the United States reaching 2,558 per year in 1940. Of course, as the saying goes, “What goes up must come down,”—and it did, with a resounding thud, on Jan. 11, 1964, when the Surgeon General issued the first report on smoking, which highlighted the lethal health consequences of tobacco use. The report estimated that average smokers had a nine- to ten-fold risk of developing lung cancer, compared to non-smokers, and that heavy smokers had at least a 20-fold risk. Also, the report pointed to a correlation between smoking and other diseases, including emphysema and coronary heart disease.

Interestingly, the committee that produced the report could not agree on one particular point—nicotine addiction, stating, "tobacco habit should be characterized as an habituation rather than an addiction." According to the report, this was partly because the addictive properties of nicotine were not yet fully understood, and also because the committee could not come up with a definition for addiction.

 

The Surgeon General’s report had a ripple effect, which led to requirements by Congress in 1965, that all cigarette packages distributed in the United States include a health warning. In 1971, Congress banned all cigarette advertising on television and radio, another crippling blow to an industry that once boasted some of the most seductive and compelling marketing campaigns. In 1988, most airline flights went smoke-free. However, it was likely the numerous Congressional hearings in the 1990s that saw leading tobacco executives being grilled under oath about the addictive nature and health effects of its products, along with an onslaught of tobacco-driven lawsuits resulting in billions paid out by tobacco giants, that turned a once adoring public against the tobacco empire.

 

As one of the fortunate ones, I can only imagine what it is like to battle nicotine addiction (or any other addiction, for that matter). And I have to wonder if government control is really the answer—especially when they seem to be making smokers into pariahs rather than offering any real solutions to help them beat their addiction.

 

Tell me what you think at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Sincerely,

Stephanie L. Muller

Editor Counselor,

The Magazine for Addiction Professionals

A Health Communications, Inc. Publication

This article is published in Counselor, The Magazine for Addiction Professionals, August 2009, v.10, n.4, pg.6.

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