US Surgeon General Richard Carmona wants to inform the public about the dangers of secondhand smoke but strangely shies away from the most obvious, simple, cost-effective and evidence based way to do so: propose new, updated, improved (enlarged and graphic) warnings on cigarette packs.
This most recent Surgeon's General Report is an opportunity for seriously revisit the issue and decide what appropriate warnings should be like.
The excellent site of Physicians for a smoke-free... Canada provides examples from other countries.
A recent study published in the Tobacco Control Journal clearly shows US consumers are less informed about the risks of smoking than people exposed to more detailed and explicit warnings on cigarette packs.
Questioned about how the Bush adminstration would implement the
findings of his report Richard Carmona apparently left this to the
President and Congress. Of course that's up to them to pass a new law
but he certainly could suggest such a move as could/should the Federal
Trade Commission in charge of protecting America's Consumers and
responsible for the actual 20+ years old warnings.
More information the podcasts of Michael Cummings:
and David Hammond:
About the chronology of cigarette pack warnings in the US.
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