Thaindian News

June 24, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): With both the Family Smoking Prevention Act as well as the Tobacco Control Act of the USA, supporting the move, the FDA finally managed to ban the candy cigarettes within the borders of the country. All kinds of flavored cigarettes be it fruit, clove or candy has been prohibited from June 23rd 2010.

This had been seen as an effort to reduce the number of smokers within the country. Statistics reveal that one of the leading causes of death in America is smoking. The regrettable fact is that such deaths could have been easily prevented simply by giving up cigarettes.

The FDA aims to discourage children from picking up this deadly addiction by imposing a ban on the flavored cigarettes. Other favored tobacco products as well as menthol cigarettes will also be examined minutely before deciding whether a ban on them would have to be declared as well.

Margaret A. Hamburg, the FDA commissioner stated that almost 90% of all US citizens take to smoking while still in their formative years. The adolescents usually prefer flavored brands over the normal ones. The non availability of such cigarettes will help to break the trend effectively thereby reducing the percentage of diseases and deaths due to smoking.

However, the FDA understands that a simple prohibition will not actually help matters. It is, therefore, trying to enforce the ban strictly. Almost all the tobacco companies of the nation will be receiving instructions about the ban on candy and flavored cigarettes along with the notification that it will be strictly illegal to manufacture, transport or sell the banned items.

The FDA also proposes to educate the parents on the risks of candy cigarettes. “The youth may often get swayed into thinking that the sweet flavored cigarettes are not harmful to health,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, FDA’s Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA.