Cigarette warning labels - Essay Example

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will call for more prominent cigarette health warnings starting September (Cigarette) These are more graphic in presentation. Hopefully, the said labels will serve an important health purpose (medically), create awareness, deter smokers and/or potential smokers from smoking and the consumption of tobacco. Since its beginnings in the 19th century, cigarette smoking has been a part of society and the industry one of the most popular income-generating businesses around the world.

This is despite the well-known health problems smoking cigarettes bring. Currently, the habit is practiced by men and women, even one as young as two years old in China. (Two) In 1898, the Tennessee Supreme Court maintains a total ban on cigarettes, saying that its use is toxic to one’s health. In 1965, after the Surgeon General of the United States reported about the dangers of cigarette smoking, the U.S. Congress passed the Cigarette Labelling and Advertising Act which stated that every cigarette pack must have a warning label claiming “Cigarettes may be hazardous to your health.

” (History) Later on, Congress ordered companies to change their warning labels every three months and created four different labels to be used. These steps, however, did little to discourage the public from smoking. With the new cigarette health warning labels, consumers will not only be reading words that, as history has shown, have been easily ignored. The new labels are very visual. They would easily catch the attention of the consumers. Moreover, the pictures are extremely explicit in showing the dangers of smoking that would-be smokers may have second thoughts.

The habit of smoking is too extensive and common to be stopped instantaneously and forcing smokers to stop infringes on their human rights. The new cigarette health warning labels are by far the best approach to making people realize smoking is hazardous and should be stopped. Works Cited“Cigarette Health Warnings.” www.fda.gov. 24 February 2012. Web. 11 April 2012. “History of Tobacco.” Healthliteracy.worlded.org. n.d. Web. 11 April 2012. “Two-year-old ‘world’s youngest smoker’.” News.com.au. 25 June 2009. Web. 11 April 2012.