Last June, President Obama signed a law that had been stalled in Congress for more than a decade that grants the US Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products. The law requires a larger warning sign on cigarette packs and includes a ban on graphic or color images in advertisements. Lawmakers believed that companies were targeting minors and that the dangers were misleading. Several industries have begun to file suits contending that the law’s marketing limitations infringe on their First Amendment right of free speech.
Should the FDA have the right to control how tobacco companies advertise? Does the right of free speech apply? Are you influenced by tobacco ads the way lawmakers believe teens are?
In 2007, 20% of high school students in the United States were current cigarette smokers—approximately 19% of females and 21% of males
-according to report by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The FDA has a duty to keep citizens safe and with the dangers of smoking, I believe this law supports that responsibility. Tobacco ads reach those under the legal age of 18 and should be regulated.
Tell us what you think.
