New York City Expected to Make Tobacco Sellers Post Warnings

New York City Expected to Make Tobacco Sellers Post Warnings
July 14, 2009

News Summary

The New York City Board of Health has proposed that city tobacco retailers be required to display graphic signs showing the adverse effects of smoking, such as cancer-ravaged mouths and blackened lungs, Oral Cancer News reported June 25.

The signs -- which would be the first of their kind in the country -- are designed to make smokers ask themselves, "Do I really want to pay 10 bucks for mouth cancer?" said Sarah Perl, assistant commissioner of the city's Bureau of Tobacco Control.

Jim Calvin, president of the state's Association of Convenience Stores, said that the recent federal tobacco-control law forbidding, among other things, ads aimed at children should be enough.

However, the city's Board of Health said its proposal, which would include health-risk warnings and information on how to quit, is targeted mostly at adult smokers. The board, which expects opposition from tobacco retailers and cigarette companies, will hold hearings and a vote on the proposal in September.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by Bill Godshall on 15 Jul 09 01:04 PM EDT

If the New York City Board of Health truly desires to further reduce cigarette smoking, it would require tobacco retailers to post warnings that truthfully inform tobacco consumers that smokefree tobacco/nicotine products are far far less hazardous alternatives to cigarettes, that switching to smokefree tobacco/nicotine products reduces health risks nearly as much as quitting all tobacco/nicotine, and that millions of smokers have already significantly reduced their health risks by switching to smokefree tobacco/nicotine products. Unfortunately, the NYC Board of Health has yet to acknowledge or inform any heavily addicted smoker that smokefree tobacco products are less hazardous harm reduction alternatives to cigarettes.

Posted by maxwood on 15 Jul 09 09:27 PM EDT

Let's start by requiring all the cigarettes to contain on their side, in numeras as large as the letters announcing the name of the brand, the exact net weight of tobacco inside (usually 700-mg.), and all packs to contain a small diagram showing how to tear 25-mg. off a cigarette and put it in a long-stemmed one-hitter.

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