President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
Monday in the Rose Garden, President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, a bill that gives the Food and Drug Administration the responsibility to regulate tobacco products.
Before signing the bill, Obama said that tobacco-related illnesses are the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and he detailed all the ways that kids get hooked on smokes before they turn 18. He ought to know, he said, because "I was one of these teenagers, so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time."
Is the prez still taking drags while nobody's looking? He wouldn't say, but he did say what's in the new law:
* FDA regulations will supersede weaker state laws, a major expansion of federal power;
* The bill bans the words "light" or "mild" in tobacco advertising, as well as any words that give the impression that one cigarette is less dangerous than another;
* It bans flavored tobacco products, like clove or cappuccino cigarettes (yes, they exist);
* It requires companies to submit a complete list of ingredients in the tobacco, paper, filter and other components, and allows the FDA to require the removal of any additive it says is dangerous;
* It requires this list of ingredients to be placed on all labels, which will itemize chemicals added to tobacco products;
* It restricts tobacco marketing to children, such as tobacco billboards near schools.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/06...stobacco-bill/
ROzbeans
15 years ago
I'm divorcing Mike and marrying Pharren.
Lessa
15 years ago
The same thing happened when Bush took office though, I mean, alot of people blamed 911 and lack of security on him and the fact that Bin Ladin did what he did, when in fact Bin Laden had attacked American soil multiple times while the previous president was in office, and hardly anything had been done. *shrugs* thats how people are. Thats how it was when a rep was in office and thats how it is when This pres is in office and thats how itll be when the next president is in office, its not fair, but its how it is.
Now by saying that I dont think that this is a republican written bill, and the fact that hes trying to save the children isnt a bad thing, it really doesnt matter who wrote it, its the fact that theyre taking choice away from people as well as adding to government power that I am against.
The only reason this administration is more scary to me than any Bush, Clinton, Nixon, Kennedy, Reagan, whoever, is because unlike them, they have noone to oppose them on party goals.. however extreme they might be. That the same party has control of all three government sections and that if they decided they wanted to make him king they could, if they decided that we all needed to pay 10% tax additional to pay for their medical reform, or new roads, or to paint our houses pink, or if they decided that they wanted to open up our borders and let anyone who wanted into the country, jobs, schools, welfare, they could. Regardless of what the citizens might think, because they have representatives to speak for us, and the majority of them are all of the same party, whichever party that might be.
In the past there has been at least one of these systems, whether the house or the senate, that was able to oppose the more extreme laws, forcing things to be written and rewritten or else to be scrapped entirely if they were something that was too severely flawed. Now maybe some good things will be passed, but will they be looked through adequately? Will they be tested properly? How much will require the government to acquire more power in order for them to enact them?
People would feel this way whichever party ran the three brances of the country. Hopefully I am wrong to be worried of this and in four years or eight someone can say "i told you so"
Now by saying that I dont think that this is a republican written bill, and the fact that hes trying to save the children isnt a bad thing, it really doesnt matter who wrote it, its the fact that theyre taking choice away from people as well as adding to government power that I am against.
The only reason this administration is more scary to me than any Bush, Clinton, Nixon, Kennedy, Reagan, whoever, is because unlike them, they have noone to oppose them on party goals.. however extreme they might be. That the same party has control of all three government sections and that if they decided they wanted to make him king they could, if they decided that we all needed to pay 10% tax additional to pay for their medical reform, or new roads, or to paint our houses pink, or if they decided that they wanted to open up our borders and let anyone who wanted into the country, jobs, schools, welfare, they could. Regardless of what the citizens might think, because they have representatives to speak for us, and the majority of them are all of the same party, whichever party that might be.
In the past there has been at least one of these systems, whether the house or the senate, that was able to oppose the more extreme laws, forcing things to be written and rewritten or else to be scrapped entirely if they were something that was too severely flawed. Now maybe some good things will be passed, but will they be looked through adequately? Will they be tested properly? How much will require the government to acquire more power in order for them to enact them?
People would feel this way whichever party ran the three brances of the country. Hopefully I am wrong to be worried of this and in four years or eight someone can say "i told you so"
Den
15 years ago
THIS!! 100 times this!!
Lessa;106772
The same thing happened when Bush took office though, I mean, alot of people blamed 911 and lack of security on him and the fact that Bin Ladin did what he did, when in fact Bin Laden had attacked American soil multiple times while the previous president was in office, and hardly anything had been done. *shrugs* thats how people are. Thats how it was when a rep was in office and thats how it is when This pres is in office and thats how itll be when the next president is in office, its not fair, but its how it is.
Now by saying that I dont think that this is a republican written bill, and the fact that hes trying to save the children isnt a bad thing, it really doesnt matter who wrote it, its the fact that theyre taking choice away from people as well as adding to government power that I am against.
The only reason this administration is more scary to me than any Bush, Clinton, Nixon, Kennedy, Reagan, whoever, is because unlike them, they have noone to oppose them on party goals.. however extreme they might be. That the same party has control of all three government sections and that if they decided they wanted to make him king they could, if they decided that we all needed to pay 10% tax additional to pay for their medical reform, or new roads, or to paint our houses pink, or if they decided that they wanted to open up our borders and let anyone who wanted into the country, jobs, schools, welfare, they could. Regardless of what the citizens might think, because they have representatives to speak for us, and the majority of them are all of the same party, whichever party that might be.
In the past there has been at least one of these systems, whether the house or the senate, that was able to oppose the more extreme laws, forcing things to be written and rewritten or else to be scrapped entirely if they were something that was too severely flawed. Now maybe some good things will be passed, but will they be looked through adequately? Will they be tested properly? How much will require the government to acquire more power in order for them to enact them?
People would feel this way whichever party ran the three brances of the country. Hopefully I am wrong to be worried of this and in four years or eight someone can say "i told you so"
THIS!! 100 times this!!
Verileah
15 years ago
Under Obama, you will be forced to be gay married to buy cigarettes *nods*.
I join you in mourning the loss of this fine tobacco product. Cloves were already banned in Maryland - had to go to DC to get them, but oh, the walking and the blisters and the expense were worth it. I think I miss the end-of-day clove more than I do the regular cigarettes.
I think having the FDA study and regulate cigarettes should have happened a long time ago, and this was the right move. I also think it's pretty bipartisan, actually - republicans have also advocated handing this over to the FDA. I'm not opposed to changing the labeling, either. Tamaelia could probably show us what cigarette packaging looks like down under, it's really quite eye opening.
Even being in favor of the bill, though, I have to say that it seems disingenuous of Obama to say that taxes for the middle class/working poor won't go up, and then tax the living shit out of cigarettes. Most American smokers are in that bracket and this seems like a way to bleed them out without having to feel bad about it (after all, they can always just quit, right? And it's their fault anyway). And then the money from the taxes is supposed to help poor children...the same poor children that aren't getting their veggies or their vitamins because cigarettes eat up much more of the grocery bill, I guess.
Are will there be some gay loops to jump through to get them?
Under Obama, you will be forced to be gay married to buy cigarettes *nods*.
Not that I smoke anymore, but banning clove cigarettes makes me sad anyways. They are so tasty and fine.
I join you in mourning the loss of this fine tobacco product. Cloves were already banned in Maryland - had to go to DC to get them, but oh, the walking and the blisters and the expense were worth it. I think I miss the end-of-day clove more than I do the regular cigarettes.
I think having the FDA study and regulate cigarettes should have happened a long time ago, and this was the right move. I also think it's pretty bipartisan, actually - republicans have also advocated handing this over to the FDA. I'm not opposed to changing the labeling, either. Tamaelia could probably show us what cigarette packaging looks like down under, it's really quite eye opening.
Even being in favor of the bill, though, I have to say that it seems disingenuous of Obama to say that taxes for the middle class/working poor won't go up, and then tax the living shit out of cigarettes. Most American smokers are in that bracket and this seems like a way to bleed them out without having to feel bad about it (after all, they can always just quit, right? And it's their fault anyway). And then the money from the taxes is supposed to help poor children...the same poor children that aren't getting their veggies or their vitamins because cigarettes eat up much more of the grocery bill, I guess.
ROzbeans
15 years ago
I always wondered how the middle to low class income people could afford cigs. 50 bucks a carton? 5 bucks a pack? Jesus.
Kelefane
15 years ago
Thats why I dip cheap knock off versions of Copenhagen.
ROzbeans
15 years ago
Yeah but isn't dip just like chewing fiberglass? Ouch!
tamaelia
15 years ago
Our cig packs have photos of aorta's with fat being squeezed out of them, a brain cut in half with a blood clot in it, a lung being eaten away by cancer, tongue/mouth cancer. They are foul to look at. Our cigarettes cost about 20AUD for a pack of 50. They are really expensive now compared to when I smoked, you could buy a pack for under 10 in 1998. I quit in 2000 when I was trying to fall pregnant. I don't regret giving up at all and have no qualms about inflicting smokers with more costs and penalties if they choose to keep smoking. It is bad for you, it is bad for the people around you and it is indefensible. But then, people choose to shoot heroin into their veins too. Noone said we lived in a world full of smart people who make good choices.
Here is one of our TV ads, that shows one of the packs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YjrkBYDDQM
Here is the current one that is still running on TV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rSrrSTW0UU
Here is one of our TV ads, that shows one of the packs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YjrkBYDDQM
Here is the current one that is still running on TV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rSrrSTW0UU
ROzbeans
15 years ago
Oh snap, that is nasty. =x
Vulash
15 years ago
There are a lot of strong emotions preceded and followed by a lot of "probably be this" and "probably be that" - but I really only skimmed after Roz summed it up
Vulash
15 years ago
It was very hard and part of the reason I was able to find the willpower to quit - I don't have near the money issues I did when I smoked. Those taxes may have saved my life
ROzbeans;106780
I always wondered how the middle to low class income people could afford cigs. 50 bucks a carton? 5 bucks a pack? Jesus.
It was very hard and part of the reason I was able to find the willpower to quit - I don't have near the money issues I did when I smoked. Those taxes may have saved my life
Lessa
15 years ago
my mom quit using a perscription pill called Chantix.. as well as my mother in law, and two sisters in law and varous family friends.. Most of them managed to quit in under a month, but it took mom closer to four, but thats off topic.
Why dont they take some of that tax money and instead put it toward youth centers and 'Just say No' type seminars? The reasons I never smoke is because I thought it was a waste of my money to do something that would stain my teeth, make me smell and crave something that I might not always have at hand and eventually would one day want to quit and have a hard time doing. My mom smoked and all of my friends in high school smoked, and a number of them tried to convince me to smoke with them. I tell my son this and as far as I know hes never been interested in trying it, and I doubt he will. ( I was younger than him the first time my friends tried to get me to start)
ITs too bad that they arent just piling on more taxes to them really, while I think that it really shouldnt get mroe expensive than it is, Imho this bit is overstepping by alot, and more taxes would be preferable.
Why dont they take some of that tax money and instead put it toward youth centers and 'Just say No' type seminars? The reasons I never smoke is because I thought it was a waste of my money to do something that would stain my teeth, make me smell and crave something that I might not always have at hand and eventually would one day want to quit and have a hard time doing. My mom smoked and all of my friends in high school smoked, and a number of them tried to convince me to smoke with them. I tell my son this and as far as I know hes never been interested in trying it, and I doubt he will. ( I was younger than him the first time my friends tried to get me to start)
ITs too bad that they arent just piling on more taxes to them really, while I think that it really shouldnt get mroe expensive than it is, Imho this bit is overstepping by alot, and more taxes would be preferable.
Vishanti
15 years ago
Forgot where I read it, but in some places the poor get the majority of their tobacco from spent butts lying in ashtrays and in the streets.
My mom's first degree was in psychology, and one of the first jobs she had was hypnotizing people to help them quit smoking. Seems so weird to me because persuasion is not her strong suit.
My mom's first degree was in psychology, and one of the first jobs she had was hypnotizing people to help them quit smoking. Seems so weird to me because persuasion is not her strong suit.