...and...
Makes me wish I was 17 again.
Posted on 12/16/2011 1:40:25 PM PST by mdittmar
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in sending a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking it to ban flavored cigars.
“Cigars with candy-like flavorings such as strawberry, watermelon, vanilla and chocolate attract kids to smoking and help hook them on this addictive habit,” the Senators wrote. “Congress helped protect young people from the harmful effects of tobacco by banning flavored cigarettes. But as youth cigarette use has fallen, cigars have become more popular among adolescents. We urge FDA to immediately close the current regulatory loopholes and prohibit flavored cigars in the interest of public health.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the 13 million Americans who smoke cigars, an estimated 1.8 million are high school students and 475,000 are middle school students. This ban would help decrease the staggering rate of cigar use by children and young adults by removing these harmful products from the marketplace.
The Senators’ letter is available here, and the text is below:
December 15, 2011
The Honorable Margaret Hamburg
Commissioner
Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20993
Dear Commissioner Hamburg:
We write to urge the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue regulations prohibiting the use of flavorings in cigars. As teenagers turn to cigars instead of cigarettes, these products pose a serious threat to public health and threaten to undermine the important public health protections of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
Flavored cigars are putting children’s health at risk and increasing nicotine addiction and tobacco use among young people. More than 13 million Americans smoke cigars, including an estimated 1.8 million high school students and 475,000 middle school students. Cigars contain the same toxic and cancer-causing chemicals contained in cigarettes, and public health experts have warned that cigars are not safe alternatives to cigarettes. Cigar smoking is linked to numerous cancers including cancers of the lung, mouth,throat, and esophagus. Cigars with candy-like flavorings such as strawberry, watermelon, vanilla and chocolate attract kids to smoking and help hook them on this addictive habit.
Congress helped protect young people from the harmful effects of tobacco by banning flavored cigarettes. But as youth cigarette use has fallen, cigars have become more popular among adolescents. In some states, cigar use surpasses cigarette use among high school males.
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 gives FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products and their flavorings, but FDA has not asserted its authority over cigars. On July 7th, the Department of Health and Human Services indicated in its semiannual regulatory agenda that FDA intended to issue this regulation in October of this year. Since FDA missed its October deadline, an estimated 2 billion cigars, cigarillos, and little cigars have been sold without appropriate regulation.
We urge FDA to immediately close the current regulatory loopholes and prohibit flavored cigars in the interest of public health.
And here I was thinking that it was already illegel for “kids” to buy tobacco, regardless of flavor!
I’m glad they have so much time to devote to high priority issues /sarc
If these idiots keep getting elected, we may need to ban voting (for ‘rats).
Get out of our lives!
Too bad there is no agency to protect us from idiot Senators.
Oh but there is,I can see 2012 from my porch;)
My brother is a hard core Democrat.
Democrats just love this stuff. They think the government is smarter than the rest of us, and needs to protect us. It’s absolutely frightening to realize how these people think.
This won’t affect me, I like unflavored cigars, but I think I should have an option!
It cannot be very addictive if I can go weeks without a cigar; but more often have one or two every day for a month.
ML/NJ
Bill Clinton strenuously objected.
You mean I can’t have a Monica flavored CIGAR?
That was the first thing which came to my mind. I couldn’t think of any delicate way of saying it tho.
LOL!
Bet his smelled like fish...
I don’t care for flavored cigars. But I hate fascists. Besides: between cigars and Congress, which presently constitutes a greater threat to public well-being?
Haven’t these busybodies something IMPORTANT to deal with? Like JOBS SPENDING DEFICITS?!!!!!!!
...and...
Makes me wish I was 17 again.
Which is more addictive and dangerous: tobacco or unchecked political power?
“It cannot be very addictive if I can go weeks without a cigar; but more often have one or two every day for a month.”
I’m with you. I smoke on average 5 cigars a week. Only outdoors, and usually when I walk the dog. If it rains a few days, and I don’t smoke, I don’t miss it. But, when I get the chance, I enjoy the habit of walking through the park smoking a nice stoogie.
Cigars are habitual, but not addictive.
Me and the people request ban on senate retards.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.