After two decades of arguing that nicotine is neither a drug nor addictive … that cigarettes didn’t cause cancer … that hooking kids wasn’t part of their long-term marketing plans, Big Tobacco finally had to take it and like it, literally, moments ago when the Senate voted 79-17, approving H.R. 1256, which provides the FDA with the authority to regulate the production, marketing, distribution, and sale of cigarettes in this country.
Of course, how the law is actually implemented is another thing, but the fact that once and for all the federal government has regulatory control over cigarettes is a huge watershed for advancing public health.
May I say, this is one of the little victories that couldn’t have happened until this year. Hurray!
Posted by ACG | June 11, 2009, 6:14 pmYou know, I’m of really mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I don’t like second-hand smoke, and I really prefer restaurants that are completely smoke-free. I like my bars that way too, but there really aren’t any like that in Virginia. At least, not that I know of. So, I’m inclined to like anything that hurts cigarette manufactures and reduces their ability to provide the raw materials people need to smoke places.
On the other hand… smoking helps kill people. So, it helps cull the species and weed people out of society, and it reduces the number of people in general and the likelihood that they’ll live too long and become elderlies. And that makes them a socially beneficial product.
Posted by Steve | June 12, 2009, 12:47 pmBut Steve, many of those people still don’t die soon enough, and even many of those who do die from cigarettes do so only after consuming copious amounts of health care. I believe there are much more effective methods of social Darwinism and eugenics.
Posted by Kris | June 12, 2009, 5:02 pmI’m not a fan of smoking legislation too much.
And although i’ve never smoked I have nostalgia for the smokey punk clubs in Texas ;)
I would have easily traded this away for actually closing guantanamo.
Posted by Oneiroi | June 13, 2009, 11:27 amClassic tobacco cigarettes are so passé, hooray for the revolutionary electronic cigarette and e-cigar! ^^
Posted by smokekiller | June 26, 2009, 12:28 pm