Banning flavors won't kill smoking
Jancy Nightingale
Issue date: 10/8/09 Section: Opinion
Smokers can no longer add a little flavor to their breaks, as of Sept. 22, 2009. The Food and Drug Administration banned all flavored cigarettes, except menthol, claiming other flavors appealed to minors, and encouraged smoking at an illegal age. But how could the youth even know such flavors existed, since tobacco advertising is nearly extinct? Also, if the FDA is so concerned about flavor, why are menthols still in stock?
Broad Street Market employee Heather D., 24, a menthol smoker, supports the ban, menthols excluded.
"Menthols aren't considered strawberry or anything, you know what I mean? It's menthol or no menthols," she said. Heather believes the flavors did have a youthful appeal, however, in her one month of running the Broad Street cash register, she didn't notice many underage kids go for those particular smokes.
Hillsdale College senior, Tristan Van Maren, a smoker partial to cloves, finds the ban hilariously ironic, especially since menthols are still in stock, and are statistically known to be more addicting than regular cigarettes.
"I don't see how you can argue that menthols are qualitatively different from other flavors," Van Maren said.
Local tobacco retailer, Chris, 48, holds the same view, but still pulled the specified cigarettes from the shelves in compliance with the FDA order. She sees no point in the ban.
"Nobody buys that crap," Chris said.
In regards to underage consumers, Chris said they try to buy other cigarettes, and aren't known to go for the flavor. Even if they did, they could always go for the cigars, which are still sold in a variety of flavors. Assumingly, it's not necessarily the flavor aspect of flavored cigarettes that supposedly have that appeal. Van Maren added that cloves aren't completely extinct since they'll now be imported as cigarillos as opposed to cigarettes.
"It doesn't change the product at all. They're just not legally allowed to be labeled cigarettes," he said. Since cigarillos are cheaper than cigarettes, it's only an advantage.
"I wish they could ban all cigarettes, then they could be cigarillos and the tax could be cheaper," he said. So far, the FDA's ban seems to create more opportunities and cheaper alternatives for smokers as opposed to providing an incentive to quit. In reality, their incentive for regulations are driven more by social standards, than health concerns.
"Our cultural awareness is that cigarettes are bad for you," Van Maren said. "They're kind of sexy in a way that cigars aren't."
Hence their supposed youthful appeal.
Within the tobacco outlet, Chris pointed out other regulations put on cigarettes by the FDA. They consider the term "light" cigarettes to be misleading, so now, those brands must be color-coded, or as the Marlboro package shows, explain that light refers to taste, not healthier smoking.
"It's something the government hasn't caught onto yet, is my opinion," Chris said.
"People don't want to quit." And the FDA isn't stopping them.
Broad Street Market employee Heather D., 24, a menthol smoker, supports the ban, menthols excluded.
"Menthols aren't considered strawberry or anything, you know what I mean? It's menthol or no menthols," she said. Heather believes the flavors did have a youthful appeal, however, in her one month of running the Broad Street cash register, she didn't notice many underage kids go for those particular smokes.
Hillsdale College senior, Tristan Van Maren, a smoker partial to cloves, finds the ban hilariously ironic, especially since menthols are still in stock, and are statistically known to be more addicting than regular cigarettes.
"I don't see how you can argue that menthols are qualitatively different from other flavors," Van Maren said.
Local tobacco retailer, Chris, 48, holds the same view, but still pulled the specified cigarettes from the shelves in compliance with the FDA order. She sees no point in the ban.
"Nobody buys that crap," Chris said.
In regards to underage consumers, Chris said they try to buy other cigarettes, and aren't known to go for the flavor. Even if they did, they could always go for the cigars, which are still sold in a variety of flavors. Assumingly, it's not necessarily the flavor aspect of flavored cigarettes that supposedly have that appeal. Van Maren added that cloves aren't completely extinct since they'll now be imported as cigarillos as opposed to cigarettes.
"It doesn't change the product at all. They're just not legally allowed to be labeled cigarettes," he said. Since cigarillos are cheaper than cigarettes, it's only an advantage.
"I wish they could ban all cigarettes, then they could be cigarillos and the tax could be cheaper," he said. So far, the FDA's ban seems to create more opportunities and cheaper alternatives for smokers as opposed to providing an incentive to quit. In reality, their incentive for regulations are driven more by social standards, than health concerns.
"Our cultural awareness is that cigarettes are bad for you," Van Maren said. "They're kind of sexy in a way that cigars aren't."
Hence their supposed youthful appeal.
Within the tobacco outlet, Chris pointed out other regulations put on cigarettes by the FDA. They consider the term "light" cigarettes to be misleading, so now, those brands must be color-coded, or as the Marlboro package shows, explain that light refers to taste, not healthier smoking.
"It's something the government hasn't caught onto yet, is my opinion," Chris said.
"People don't want to quit." And the FDA isn't stopping them.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
burn
posted 10/27/09 @ 9:24 PM EST
whatever the color and flavor it has, it doesn't matter. as long as it has a harmful and addictive content like nicotine. It is still dangerous to all smokers and non-smokers. (Continued…)
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