Sweeping new tobacco laws take effect in June

[The Straight Story]

Sweeping new tobacco laws take effect in June

Today, four-thousand kids will try their first cigarette, but starting in June, the Food and Drug Administration will try to make that less appealing to them.

The FDA is going to ban the distribution of free samples of cigarettes and prevent tobacco brands from sponsoring sports, concerts or other cultural events.

The FDA wanted to ban selling and marketing tobacco to teenagers 15 years ago, in 1995. The Supreme Court ruled that the FDA couldn't act on its wish without legislation, and the idea, hugely controversial at the time, was forgotten, that is, until last year when President Obama quietly signed it into law.

Every state in the country bans the sale of tobacco products to minors now, and the tobacco industry adopted many of the proposed laws years ago, but the NY Times notes that the legislation will provide "consistent enforcement mechanisms across the country."

In addition to banning the sale and marketing of tobacco to minors, the legislation also:
--prohibits tobacco companies from using color advertising in store displays
--bars sponsorship of sporting or entertainment events by tobacco companies, even by smokeless tobacco products
--restricts outdoor advertisements near schools
--bans the sale of packages with fewer than 20 cigarettes, bans all vending, self-service displays or other impersonal sales in areas that have not been restricted to adults only
--bans free samples of tobacco products

http://www.examiner.com/x-15870-Populist-Examiner~y2010m3d19-Sweeping-new-tobacco-laws-take-effect-in-June

[Happyhippychick]

1. Free samples of cigarettes? They have such a thing?

Geez, I had no idea.

[The Straight Story]

2. Only in elementary schools - adults are not allowed free things in a free society (nt)

[Codeine]

3. I was going to post the same thing!

The very idea is almost mind-bogglingly bizarre. I really can't picture handing out free cigarettes.

[Fumesucker]

5. It used to be pretty common, but that was a long time ago.. n/t

[rcrush]

6. I once got a free pack of camels in a bar from the Camel guy.

He just walked in and said he was giving away free camels. Just wanted to scan our drivers licences. I was like WHOA MAN SCAN MY DRIVERS LICENCE!?! But then he said "FREE CIGS!" and I was like OK!

[demodonkey]

7. Good heavens, it's known history...

...tobacco companies used to give them out like water to soldiers, sailors, etc. in WWII and beyond.

My Dad always said it was a miracle he didn't become hooked in WWII.

Another great mentor in my life started smoking with the freebies given out to the US Navy in WWII; he died a horrible death of lung cancer at age 62.

[Happyhippychick]

8. I know that they used to do it, I am just surprised that they still do it.

[NightWatcher]

4. color advertising, ouch, everything else is already covered

[HockeyMom]

9. I haven't seen them giving out free samples

of cigarettes on the streets in those 6 cigarette packs since the 1970s in NYC. Most people today were either in diapers or not even alive.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

10. We always had these little 5-cig pack free samples at 7-11 ...

...when I worked there in 1980. The employees snatched up most of them.

[Lagomorph]

11. Typically....

....in the cigar industry, they have conventions to promote their expensive new cigars by giving away samples to distributors, who then order from the manufactures. I believe that will have to stop or move offshore.

[The Straight Story]

12. I bet they make cigars exempt many places - the rich smoke those (nt)

[customerserviceguy]

13. This is just "feel good" law

when the real enemy is peer pressure. I don't know anybody who started smoking because of a billboard at a sporting event, but I know a lot of people who wanted to look like they were with the "cool" kids.