Obama to sign anti-smoking bill in Rose Garden

[onehandle]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is set to sign into law an anti-smoking bill that will give the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco.

Obama is scheduled to sign the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act during an event Monday in the Rose Garden. The law allows the FDA to reduce nicotine in tobacco products, ban candy flavorings and block labels such "low tar" and "light." Tobacco companies also will be required to cover their cartons with large graphic warnings.

The law won't let the FDA ban nicotine or tobacco outright, but the agency will be able to regulate what goes into tobacco products, make public the ingredients and prohibit marketing campaigns, especially those geared toward children.

Anti-smoking advocates looked forward to the bill after years of attempts to control an industry so fundamental to the U.S. that carved tobacco leaves adorn some parts of the Capitol.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090622/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_o...

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Maybe he figures this is the only way he'll manage to quit.

"Stop me before I light up again!"

[applegrove]

3. LOL! I took it that way too.

[tomg]

5. Actually he is signing it

outside in the Rose Garden in case he wants to light up right after.

[bananas]

9. Obama signs anti-smoking bill, cites own struggle

I was just going to post this when I saw this thread:

Obama signs anti-smoking bill, cites own struggle

By PHILIP ELLIOTT – 34 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama cited his own long struggle to quit the cigarettes he took up as a teenager as he signed the nation's strongest-ever anti-smoking bill Monday and praised it for providing critically needed protections for future generations.

"The decades-long effort to protect our children from the harmful effects of smoking has finally emerged victorious," Obama said during the sun-splashed Rose Garden signing ceremony.

<snip>

The president has frequently spoken, in the White House and on the campaign trail, of his own struggles to quit smoking. He did so again during the ceremony, bringing it up while criticizing the tobacco industry for marketing its products to young people.

"I know — I was one of these teenagers," Obama said. "I know how difficult it is to break this habit."

<snip>

As president, George W. Bush opposed the legislation and threatened a veto after it passed the House last year. The Obama administration, by contrast, issued a statement declaring strong support for the measure.

[Cha]

20. What a contrast between Obama

and bush. I smoked for two years in the '70's and had the hardest time quitting but so glad I was able to back then.

[TrogL]

2. Canada has this already

It's been fairly effective but it won't stop a hard-core smoker.

One thing we have in addition to this is as an almost complete ban on tobacco advertising. Stores can't even display them on the shelves. The cigarettes are in a special locked cabinet under or behind the counter.

There are also huge fines for selling to underage smokers and regular sting operations to catch offenders.

[raystorm7]

4. Regs on Smoking is easy...how about them guns Obama? or we need more deaths this year =/

[Deadric Damodred]

10. And what are your suggestions for gun regulations?

Keep in mind that the Supreme Court has ruled that gun ownership is an individual civil right, and that you can not ban firearms in common use for lawful purposes. And yes, semi-automatic handguns & semi-automatic rifles (even the ones that "look scary") are common; they're everywhere, sales on them are ridculously high, and they are used for the lawful purposes of home self-defense, target shooting, and hunting. And yes, a semi-automatic AK-47 clone is commonly owned; just like the AR-15 is commonly owned. So let's hear some suggestions that do not violate the constitution and the recent victory from the Heller v D.C.

[Codeine]

13. There's no specific Constitutional right to Marlboros. nt

[krabigirl]

19. Seriously.

[jmowreader]

6. The "no light cigarettes" part is what confuses me

According to this new law, they won't be allowed to call certain cigarettes Lights or Milds. Umm...what exactly do they plan to call Marlboro Lights, Winston Lights, Salem Lights...basically, every cigarette brand has either "lights" or "milds" as one of its styles.

The law is HR 1256...let's see what's actually in here...the bill's fucking huge, so it's going to take a while to read...

[Codeine]

14. Many will use color words.

Misty has already switched "Lights" to "Rose." Expect Marlboro Whites or something very similar. That distinguishes the variety while not making a subtle claim to safety.

[jmowreader]

22. Probably Marlboro Gold

I can see a confusion there, of course: why would someone smoke "Misty Rose" instead of "Misty"?

[Codeine]

24. The "Rose" designates an ultra light.

Blue is light, Green is menthol, and Silver a menthol ultralight.

I only know 'cause I sell this shit.

[RebelOne]

29. If you are referring to Marlboros,

the silver is not a menthol. It is just plain ultra light. I should know because that's my brand.

[jmowreader]

31. I think the poster is referring to Mistys

What would it be with Marlboros...

Regular Marlboro -- Marlboro Red
Marlboro Light -- Marlboro Gold
Marlboro Ultra Light -- Marlboro Silver

They've got Marlboro Mediums, which would probably be allowed, Marlboro Menthols, which would be allowed, and a couple of "blends"--Blend no 27, Virginia Blend--that would be okay. How I know this I cannot say because I don't smoke cigarettes...

[damntexdem]

7. Just heard an in-person report on the signing ...

from Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association -- he was late to the Governing Council conference call because he attended the signing.

[Tempest]

8. Another misleading AP headline

This isn't an anti-smoking bill.

Nothing in the bill is meant to prevent smokers from lighting up. All it does is make the companies accountable and slaps a warning smokers will ignore.

[krabigirl]

21. Yes, it bans cloves and other non-menthol flavored cigarettes.

[mrbarber]

11. Hope that "candy flavoring" ban....

Doesn't include Hookah tobacco.

[no limit]

12. Exactly. I actually think this law is dumb.

It is another example of government trying to tell us what we can and can not put in to our body. I don't smoke (although I do smoke the occasional hookah) but I do not support this.

[krabigirl]

18. Same here. Ex-casual smoker here, and I think this bill is horrible.

The Republicans want to shove religion down our throats and control what we do in our bedrooms, and it seems the Dems want to tell us what to eat and what (not) to smoke. Yuck.

And for all of the people who think that the marijuana decrim bill will pass...keep dreaming.

[Zavulon]

25. +1.

This is one of those instances where those crying "too much government" have a real point. I fucking loathe this bill.

[Norwood]

36. I agree as well

Why are we wasting time on bills like this at all? So what are we gonna do now just ban errr I mean put restrictions on everything that isn't necessarily healthy for us?

Whats next fast food or any other type of unhealthy types of food? Taxes on foods high in saturated fats,sugars, etc? It fucking pisses me off!

[EndersDame]

38. That would make me very sad as well

[Raine]

15. WONDERFUL

it's about time, THANK YOU President Obama!

[krabigirl]

17. Great, yeah, ban more stuff. Oh, but back DOMA. blech.

[Raine]

35. Some of us don't

like having our cancer rick increased by involuntarily breathing in someone else's addiction. Good for President Obama, less people addicted to tobacco in the future and better health for all.


Edit: spelling

[krabigirl]

16. Clove cigarettes are banned now? Sorry, but this is ridiculous.

I used to smoke maybe one of these a week, if that, but I liked the taste. Why can't adults choose what they want to put in their bodies? I can't believe people support this!

[jmowreader]

23. But...but...but...think of the CHILDREN!!!

In the findings:

(4) Virtually all new users of tobacco products are under the minimum legal age to purchase such products.

Therefore they must ban kreteks because children might smoke them, even though they're not legally entitled to smoke them now and that never stopped anyone.

[onehandle]

27. Because you're not just putting it in your body. You're exposing everyone else to it to.

This is why smoking has become unacceptable in society.

[Vidar]

28. A lifetime non smoker, I used clove cigarettes when I needed to smoke on

stage once. The following week there was news story about 10 or 20 people dying from clove cigarettes. No point really, just irony & nostalgia.

[newinnm]

34. Its only bad

When the repubs put their will on us. When the Dems do it then its ok.

-nnnm

[Sweet and Spicy]

26. I urge people not to smoke

The chances of cancer are deeply increased with every inhalation of Nicotine. Another good move by President Obama.

[newinnm]

30. Keep the Government out of my life

As soon as Obama stops smoking then he will have some credibility on this issue. Until then, Ill smoke if I want to and if anyone has a problem with it they can go to hell.


-nnnm

[ecstatic]

32. Except when you want single payer healthcare

to cover smokers?

[newinnm]

33. What about over eaters

or people who fuck around and are more exposed to STD's or to the couch potato...


-nnnm

[Yupster]

37. They're all okay

We just hate smokers. Except the President.

[EndersDame]

39. I hope the Candy flavoring ban doesn't extend to rolling papers

or Black and Milds! Maybe they could only be legal if you are using them for non tobacco products