On Wednesday, U.S. senators said that cigarette warning labels should cover at least half of the package and use graphic photos of cancer and other health effects. This discussion was part of an ongoing debate on a bill that would allow the FDA to regulate but not ban tobacco products. The bill would also give the FDA power to restrict advertising, sales to minors and ingredient composition.Under the bill, the FDA would have the authority to decide what the labels should say and show and where they should be placed. The bill is sponsored by Senator Ted Kennedy.
According to Harvard's Allan Brandt in an interview wtih the Washington Post, the current labels have lost "almost any public health benefits that they may once have had. They are seen as diluted and old, and they don't influence smokers."
About 52 senators support the bill and it is backed by the American Cancer Society and other health organizations.
What do you think? Do you think larger, more graphic warnings on cigarette packages would deter smoking in the U.S.?
