Are you aware of the powerful influence cigarette marketing can have on young minds? Protecting minors from the harmful effects of tobacco advertisements has been an ongoing battle. In this article, we will look at how laws prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to children have evolved over time.The goal of this article is to explain […]
the tremendous influence of the tobacco industry on policy-making over the last 60 years. reporter: forget fine print. the fda wants pictures. pictures that will cover half of the front and back of cigarette packs. every person who picks up a pack of cigarettes is going to know exactly what the risk is that they re taking. reporter: the united states was the first country to require health care warnings on cigarette packages in 1966. but the u.s. is now playing catch-up to more than 30 countries that already require large, graphic cigarette warnings. studies consistently show these disturbing images are effective at exposing the health risks, discouraging people from starting, and getting smokers to quit. canada started using warning labels like this in 2000. since then, the number of smokers there has dropped about 20%. a recent law now grants the fda authority over tobacco products and one of their aims is to tackle the 20% of high schoolers who admit to lighting up.