FDA's New Graphic Anti-Smoking Campaign, What Are They Thinking?

(AP)Nine new warning labels featuring graphic images that convey the dangers of smoking will be required by the Food and Drug Administration to be on U.S. cigarette packs by 2012. Other images include a man with a tracheotomy smoking and a mother holding a baby with smoke swirling around them. The labels will include phrases like "Smoking can kill you" and "Cigarettes cause cancer."

The labels, which the FDA released Tuesday, are a part of the most significant change to U.S. cigarette packs in 25 years. They're aimed at curbing tobacco use, which is responsible for about 443,000 deaths in the U.S. a year.

The labels will take up the top half - both front and back - of a pack of cigarettes and each will include a national quit smoking hotline number. Warning labels also must appear in advertisements and constitute 20 percent of an ad. Cigarette makers have until the fall of 2012 to comply.

The World Health Organization said in a survey done in countries with graphic warning labels that a majority of smokers noticed the warnings and more than 25 percent said the warnings led them to consider quitting.

Dear FDA-

Do you really think this is going to get a majority of people to stop smoking? I don't think so.  Graphic pictures may make people ill when they look at them, but I think it will just increase the sales of cigarette cases and shirts with pockets to hide them.  I believe this is another bad attempt from the FDA to get people to quit smoking.

I hear the second hand smoke argument all the time.  I think we should worry more about factory pollutants and radioactive fall-out from the nuclear disasters that can cause more harm in less time than being next to someone who smokes.

If someone wants to smoke, there's not much you can do to change their mind.  It's like people with high cholesterol.  You can't make them eat only low fat diets to try and stay healthy, they will eat what they want, regardless of the consequences.

Here's what the FDA should do...put graphic pictures of car wrecks on the windows of all new and used cars being sold to show what could happen when you don't pay attention when you are driving (talking on the phone, texting, scolding children, trying to eat, etc)

...and that's my 'pinion.

-Pam

What do you think of these graphic pictures the FDA is adding to cigarette packaging?