Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled 36 graphic options and the agency wants to know what you think.
“It really helps to drive home an ugly but real message that is how deadly smoking can be and how dangerous it is. There are about 3,900 kids every day that start smoking,” says Allison Miller with the American Cancer Society.
Miller says the change in the warning labels is the first of its kind in 25 years. It’s a change she calls a long time coming.
“Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer in almost 90% of the cases of lung cancer. It's the greatest killer of Americans as far as cancer deaths go. It's very hard to treat, it's hard to detect, but we know how to prevent it and that is by not smoking,” Miller says.
“As a smoker I’ve tried to quit a million times. I think most of us that are smokers have and I think it would help with the younger generation, says Jennifer Cropp of the new images.
Cropp says it's been seven years since her first cigarette. She hopes the proposed pictures keep others away from her addiction. Long-time smoker Ronilee Hanson feels the same way; she doesn't want her grandchildren to start. But, on the other hand she thinks the graphic images are going too far.
“I choose to smoke because I made that choice and I don't think government has any right to make choices for me. But, that's kind of a scare tactic, leave it for Halloween,” Hanson says.
Reynolds Tobacco says it's challenging the labeling in court, while Philip Morris says it's working with the FDA.
The FDA is accepting comments through January 9, 2011. The new warnings will be required on cigarette packages no later than September 22, 2012.
New Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels
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