WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 21, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled new warning labels today that will be required on all cigarette packs and advertisements beginning in September 2012. The labels are significantly larger than current labels and for the first time include vivid graphics depicting the dangers of tobacco use.
“These new warning labels have the potential to encourage adults to give up their deadly addiction to cigarettes and deter children from starting in the first place,” said John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “With 4,100 kids picking up their first cigarette every day, and the vast majority of adult smokers starting as youth, these new graphic warning labels will help educate children and adults about the dangers of smoking from the moment they pick up a pack of cigarettes or see a cigarette ad.”
The release of the labels comes just one day before the second anniversary of the historic passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The law, which grants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the manufacture, sale and marketing of tobacco products, mandates larger and more effective graphic labels that cover 50 percent of the front and back of cigarette packs. The current warnings on tobacco products in the United States have not been changed in 25 years and have been proven to be ineffective because of their size and placement on packaging and advertisements.
The new warning labels feature photos and drawings which depict the consequences of smoking, and text which warns of the danger that comes with smoking, including “Cigarettes Cause Cancer.” All new warning labels will also include the toll-free phone number 1-800-Quit-Now, which will connect callers with cessation programs in their state.
“Requiring the new labels to include quit-line information is a positive step, but to properly leverage the phone number’s potential to help smokers quit, states must fully fund their tobacco prevention and cessation programs,” said Christopher W. Hansen, president of ACS CAN. “Only with proper funding can states adequately address the needs of smokers who are attempting to quit and prevent others from ever starting.”
Since it was signed into law, this landmark piece of public health legislation has already taken steps to break the deadly cycle of addiction and put an end to Big Tobacco’s efforts to target of our nation’s children. Major provisions of the law that have already gone into effect include:
• A ban on candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes, which for decades were primarily marketed to attract and addict youth smokers.
• A ban on the use of misleading descriptions such as “light,” “mild” and “low-tar” in the marketing and packaging of cigarettes
• Larger, stronger warning labels on smokeless tobacco products
• A first-ever federal prohibition on cigarette and smokeless tobacco sales to minors
• A ban on all tobacco-brand sponsorships of sports and cultural events
• A ban on virtually all free tobacco samples and giveaways of non-tobacco items, such as hats and T-shirts with the purchase of tobacco
• A prohibition on the sale of cigarettes in packs of fewer than 20 – so-called “kiddie packs” that make cigarettes more affordable and appealing to kids.
ACS CAN and its tobacco control partners applaud this latest step to break the cycle of addiction to tobacco and will continue to work to ensure that the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act is implemented as aggressively and effectively as possible.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Christina Saull
(202) 585-3250
[email protected]
Steven Weiss
(202) 661-5711
[email protected]