Menthol cigarettes a luxurious death for the healthy
05/06/2010
Uncategorized
The Food and Drug Administration is to resolve tobacco issues such as the so-called harm products, alternatives to cigarettes and menthol, after Congress empowered it with a two-year deadline.
Menthol cigarette flavors account for a third of the nation’s $70 billion cigarette market. Opponents of smoking are now seeking to ban menthol from cigarettes. Arguing that menthol attracts younger smokers while promoting it to African American smokers, who have the highest rates of smoking disease.
Menthol, which causes a cooling feeling to mask sturdy taste of smoking, does not impose a greater risk to public health than other types of cigarettes, according to tobacco industries. But then again, how many times have the tobacco industries lied before?
A higher cost on cigarettes with menthol, a regulation and or reduced amount of menthol used and marketing restrictions are also some alternatives to the difficult issue.
Regardless, they cannot stop people who prefer menthol cigarettes from going to the store and buying them, or finding a way to obtain them. It seems ridiculous to ban menthol- it will probably create an underground market just like the ban of alcohol in the 1920’s and have cigarette companies help increase the number of unemployed Americans.
While I am not stating that people should die of lung cancer rather than have someone loose their job, I do think personal responsibility takes a huge part and should be strongly considered.
Menthol cannot be banned simply because it is used as a marketing technique (unless told otherwise by research, which is in progress) just like light beer (fewer calories beer) cannot be banned for the same reason.
If anything, light beer should be banned. As it puts even more innocent bystanders at risk when people choose to drive drunk, but once again, that will still not prevent people from buying alcohol and driving a car while under the influence.
In the end, it is up to the people and the choices they make to see where society is heading. An extra charge on menthol cigarettes makes a little more sense, for it might even help some quit, after all it buying over-priced menthol cigarettes would be like paying for a luxurious death.