President Barack Obama yesterday signed federal legislation that places tobacco products firmly under the control of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The new law, according to the New York Times story, allows the FDA “not only to forbid advertising geared toward children but also to lower the amount of nicotine in tobacco products, ban sweetened cigarettes that appeal to young taste buds and prohibit labels like ‘light’ and ‘low tar’.”
In signing the legislation, President Obama noted that he was one of the young people who started smoking before the age of 18, and acknowledged how difficult it has been to kick the habit.
Kids today don’t just start smoking for no reason,” he said. “They’re aggressively targeted as customers by the tobacco industry. They’re exposed to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn and where they play.”
In signing the legislation, President Obama noted that he was one of the young people who started smoking before the age of 18, and acknowledged how difficult it has been to kick the habit.
Kids today don’t just start smoking for no reason,” he said. “They’re aggressively targeted as customers by the tobacco industry. They’re exposed to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn and where they play.”
- KC's View:
- Good. This stuff is designed to addict and eventually kill people. The more the government can do to shine a harsh light on the industry is a good thing.
