Dozens of health organizations pledge ‘full support’ for federal ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars | CNN
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Eighty national public health groups, including the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Preventative Medicine, placed a full-page ad in Sunday’s edition of the Washington Post in support of a federal ban on menthol in cigarettes and all flavored cigars.

Eighty national public health groups, including the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Preventative Medicine, placed a full-page ad in Sunday’s edition of the Washington Post in support of a federal ban on menthol in cigarettes and all flavored cigars.

“The answer is clear,” the full-page ad says. “Saving lives starts by ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars.

“Smoking kills nearly half a million people in the United States each year, and these addictive, deadly products are a big part of the problem. The FDA and White House have our full support to release lifesaving rules prohibiting menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars.”

  • @AngryCommieKender
    4•1 year ago

    Yes. Of my graduating class of 300, about 100 of us worked on the tobacco farms. In tobacco country this is a very common way for teens to make money. Note, I was working because I chose to. That doesn’t fall under child labor. I’m sure some of the other teens were working because they had to.

    • chaogomu
      -2•1 year ago

      You were a child who was working. That’s child labor. Full stop.

      You also were exposed to harmful chemicals. Even if you “wanted” to be there, you should not have been.

      So you worked, got a video game, and a lifelong addiction. And you think that was a good thing?

      But it still doesn’t matter. Yours is an edge case. This proposed ban on flavorings for tobacco is meant to help prevent thousands from getting addicted in the first place.

      Here’s how it works. A given teen will, at some point, try a cigarette. If it’s flavored, they are statistically more likely to try a second. If you ban flavorings, then that second cigarette will be less likely.

      We know that nicotine is more addictive than pretty much any other chemical out there, but it’s not instantly addictive. The goal is to make smoking as unpleasant as possible. Which will also save the lives of some people who are currently addicted.

      • @AngryCommieKender
        6•1 year ago

        Nah, teen usage has been down for the last decade. This measure is nothing more than a red herring. Wanna actually protect our children? Pass universal healthcare or ban guns.

        You’re still being willfully ignorant and holier than thou.

        • chaogomu
          -4•1 year ago

          Nice whataboutism.

          But we can do both.

          I personally say ban tobacco completely, because it’s still the single largest cause of medical issues in the US.

          Cancer, COPD, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Stokes, etc. All diseases that smokers get at extremely elevated rates. Hell, currently, one out of every five deaths in the US are linked to cigarette use.

          But sure, gun control. It’s a good idea, but it wouldn’t do anything about 20% of all deaths each year.

          Anyway, teens are most likely to start smoking via menthols or flavored tobacco. Which is why we should ban them. Because if you can drive that 20% number down, you should.

          • @AngryCommieKender
            3•1 year ago

            You’re making shit up now. Smoking doesn’t come close to 20% of the deaths in any group, except for possibly China in their oldest age categories. Fuck off with your lies.

            • chaogomu
              0•1 year ago

              https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/tobacco_related_mortality/index.htm

              Cigarette smoking causes about one of every five deaths in the United States each year.1,6 Cigarette smoking is estimated to cause the following:1

              More than 480,000 deaths annually (including deaths from secondhand smoke)
              278,544 deaths annually among men (including deaths from secondhand smoke)
              201,773 deaths annually among women (including deaths from secondhand smoke)

              Cigarette smoking causes premature death:

              Life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorter than for nonsmokers.1,2
              Quitting smoking before the age of 40 reduces the risk of dying from smoking-related disease by about 90%.2

              Not lies.

      • @braxy29
        2•1 year ago

        my sibling in christ. where are you getting this stuff? you sound like you’re parroting something you were told but have little actual scientific or experiential understanding.

        • chaogomu
          -2•1 year ago

          Why are there so many people who are pro-lung cancer in this thread?

          Do people just not like breathing?