New, graphic warnings to appear on cigarette packs next year

Rotting teeth, cancer-riddled lungs and dead bodies will soon offer graphic visual warnings of the consequences of smoking to anyone buying a pack starting late next year.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it will require new warning labels in all cigarette advertisements and on all cigarette packs starting in September 2012. The nine new labels, which can be viewed on the FDA's website, feature larger written warnings accompanied by graphic images of the damaging effects of first and secondhand smoke.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, manufacturing of the new packs will begin Sept. 22, 2012. Vendors will have until Oct. 22 to fully integrate the new packaging into their inventory and old packs will be illegal for sale after that date.

This image provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 shows one of nine new warning labels cigarette makers will have to use by the fall of 2012. In the most significant change to U.S. cigarette packs in 25 years, the FDA's the new warning labels depict in graphic detail the negative health effects of tobacco use. (AP Photo/U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

Joe Cole, Manager of Tobacco Lane in Cape Girardeau, said he is aware of the new FDA labels, but doesn't think they will have a drastic impact on tobacco sales.

"I don't think it's going to make a difference," Cole said. "If someone is on the fence about quitting, maybe, but I don't think the new labels will affect regular smokers. I'm not all that worried about it."

Although the new labels may seem like a small step toward curbing tobacco use, a study published last month by the CDC showed health warnings placed on cigarette packages are effective at persuading smokers to consider quitting and deterring nonsmokers from starting. The same study showed labels are well accepted by the public with more than 90 percent of male and female smokers noticing a warning label when purchasing cigarettes, and labels featuring images are most effective in communicating the health risks associated with smoking.

According to the CDC, tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, and it estimates more than 5 million people will die worldwide this year from tobacco-related ailments, including cancer, heart attacks, strokes and other diseases. In the United States, the CDC estimates more than $167 billion is spent annually on smoking related health care and lost productivity.

Sheri House, Community Manager Health Initiatives with the American Cancer Society, said the new labels are a helpful component in the regulation of cigarettes that has the potential to save lives.

"Lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer, and it is also the deadliest," House said. "We're concerned with preventing people from starting smoking and helping them to quit, and studies have shown that strong images are very effective at doing both."

This image provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 shows one of nine new warning labels cigarette makers will have to use by the fall of 2012. In the most significant change to U.S. cigarette packs in 25 years, the FDA's the new warning labels depict in graphic detail the negative health effects of tobacco use. (AP Photo/U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

House said the highly addictive nature of smoking makes prevention a key component in reducing smoking rates, and the new labels could help deter people from starting.

"Smoking is a tough addiction to beat," House said. "It takes a smoker eight to 10 tries before they are successful in quitting smoking, and we want to do anything we can to make quitting easier. We want to save lives and help people celebrate more birthdays."

ssemmler@semissourian.com

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