Cigarette Warnings Could Be Bigger With Color Images

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a rule to require new health warnings on tobacco products. The proposed warnings would appear on individual cigarette packages and in advertising¹.

Cigarette packs would have realistic color pictures showing some of the lesser-known, but serious health risks of smoking. They include a smoker’s increased risk of developing conditions such as diabetes² as well as lung cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration, also called FDA, is the federal agency responsible for protecting the health of people in the United States.

Not only do the proposed warnings contain graphic³ images, the written information would also be easier to see. In a statement, FDA officials said the agency did research and found that many people did not read its small text-only warnings.

The statement described the proposed rule as the “most significant change to cigarette labels in more than 35 years.”

The proposal would add 13 new health warnings.

Doctor Ned Sharpless is a cancer specialist and the head of the FDA. In a statement, Sharpless noted⁴ that “tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S.” He said it “kills more people each year than alcohol, HIV, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.”

Sharpless added that the FDA remains⁵ “committed to educating the public, especially America’s youth, about the dangers associated with using cigarettes and other tobacco products.”

The agency said that “over 16 million Americans alive today live with disease caused by cigarette smoking.” It added that “tobacco use also costs more than $300 billion a year in direct health care costs and lost productivity.”

First Amendment⁶ court battle

This is not the first time FDA officials have tried to add graphic images to tobacco warnings. In 2011, the agency proposed similar warnings. But cigarette companies took legal action to stop them. The companies claimed the graphic warnings violated their constitutional right of freedom of speech. In 2012, tobacco companies won in court.

Kaelan Hollon, is a spokesperson for tobacco company Reynolds American Incorporated. She said that Reynolds is currently studying the FDA’s latest proposal.

The Reuters news agency reports that following the 2012 ruling, several health groups brought their own case to court. A “judge issued an order in March 2019 directing the agency to publish a proposed rule by August [2019] and issue a final rule in March 2020.”

The current proposal is open to public comment until October 15.

Smoking worldwide

Last month, the World Health Organization expressed its support for the use of graphic images in tobacco warnings.

Studies in Brazil, Canada, Singapore and Thailand, the WHO said, “consistently show that pictorial⁷ warnings significantly increase people’s awareness⁸ of the harms from tobacco use.”

In the same statement, the WHO called tobacco use an “epidemic⁹” and “one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.”

The statement also provided the following information:

Tobacco kills up to half of its users.

Around the world, tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. Around 1.2 million of those deaths are non-smokers¹⁰ who breathe in second-hand¹¹ smoke.

Around 80% of the world’s 1.1 billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.

I’m Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

package – n. a container that covers or holds something

graphic – adj. shown or described in a very clear way

text – n. the main body of printed or written matter on a page

significant – adj. having meaning

committed – adj. willing to give your time, energy, etc., to something

associated – adj. related, connected, or combined together

issued – v. to announce (something) in a public and official way

consistent – adj. always acting¹² or behaving in the same way : consistently – adv.

epidemic – n. an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time : an outbreak of epidemic disease

second-hand smoke – n. tobacco smoke that is exhaled by smokers or is given off by burning tobacco and is inhaled by persons nearby

1 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

2 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

3 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

7 pictorial   

adj.绘画的；图片的；n．画报

参考例句：

• The had insisted on a full pictorial coverage of the event.他们坚持要对那一事件做详尽的图片报道。
• China Pictorial usually sells out soon after it hits the stands.《人民画报》往往一到报摊就销售一空。

8 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

9 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

10 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

11 second-hand   

adj.用过的，旧的，二手的

参考例句：

• I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
• They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。

12 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。