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submitted 1 year ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Eighty national public health groups, including the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Preventative Medicine, placed a full-page ad in Sunday’s edition of the Washington Post in support of a federal ban on menthol in cigarettes and all flavored cigars.

“The answer is clear,” the full-page ad says. “Saving lives starts by ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars.

“Smoking kills nearly half a million people in the United States each year, and these addictive, deadly products are a big part of the problem. The FDA and White House have our full support to release lifesaving rules prohibiting menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars.”

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[-] ZombieTheZombieCat@lemm.ee 66 points 1 year ago

When are we going to start banning flavored alcohol like White Claw and Mike's while we're at it

[-] finthechat@kbin.social 32 points 1 year ago

Please don't joke this into existence

[-] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago

It worked out so well the last time we tried.

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[-] Phegan@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

There ain't to laws when you cracking claws.

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[-] Veedem@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago

I have maybe a cigar a month. Sometimes, a nice dipped cigar is enjoyable. It’d be a shame to just outright ban them.

[-] MagicShel@programming.dev 15 points 1 year ago

I sort of feel like this is the equivalent of banning white claws or even everything other than IPAs. During the summer I have a cigar most days. Once the temps drop below 60, I'm done with tobacco for six months or so. I don't smoke flavored cigars, but I don't like it for those who do.

[-] stella@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

Welcome to the 'all drugs are bad unless I do them' mentality.

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[-] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 29 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Urgh, when they banned them in my country it was with this same stupid logic.

Now I don't smoke (quit 15ish years ago) but this idea that anything flavoured somehow MUST be for the purpose of marketing towards children is insane. It manages to be wrong in two opposite ways:

One: This implies that anything with flavor is not for adults and everyone over the age of majority goes home to enjoy our grey flavourless mush.

Two: This implies that the flavors involved must be what appeals most to children. You know those menthol and whisky tipped smokes that all the children go nuts for.

This logic falls apart (both ways) when you look at any other legal market like booze, weed or vape.

It is almost as if after the US lost the war on drugs they want to try again on a smaller scale.

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[-] Zippit@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago

This is hypocrisy. Let people smoke whatever they want. We're not living in the fifties, everybody and their mother knows nicotine kills.

What they don't get is that not everybody has a wonderful life and wants to live forever.

There are bans in place for kids, and adults should have the right to decide what they want. Ban flavoured alcohol too then.

[-] Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You know, I don't really care what you smoke, but I care that it's communal. Somebody drinking wine, beer, a white claw, etc a few feet away doesn't immediately negatively impact my existence by depriving me of clean air ... or cause a friend with breathing issues a panic attack.

Plenty of adults "decide" to smoke for kids by smoking with the kids around.

Plenty of adults "decide" to smoke in the entrances of buildings, on busy sidewalks, in an outdoor mall, etc.

Plenty of adults have "decided" to smoke because it's "safe" per some anecdote that they heard about a family member that smoked 3 packs a day and lived to be 90.

It's actually all pretty freaking infuriating. One of the best things that's ever been done is banning smoking inside of most buildings.

At the very least the age should be raised to match alcohol.

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[-] rishado@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Ironically nicotine doesn't kill, bud. Smoking does. I get what you mean but there's no downside to nicotine other than addiction strictly speaking

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[-] youCanCallMeDragon@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

People who think smokers smoke for the flavor are not in touch with reality. This will do nothing for public health.

[-] rchive@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

I think it will. It will drive menthols underground and they'll become more dangerous just like alcohol during Prohibition.

[-] rambaroo@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

You can just buy menthol infusers online. This law will do nothing

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[-] Kiernian@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

Like every time this comes up, this is straight up racism.

If they actually cared about protecting children, they'd put quality control restrictions on the fluids used in vape pens to prevent popcorn lung and the like BECAUSE KIDS DON'T REALLY SMOKE CIGARETTES ANYMORE.

You know who disproportionately smokes menthols and flavored cigarellos?

Black people.

If they actually had something against smoking, they'd ban ALL CIGARETTES.

If they were actually trying to protect kids, they'd go after what kids are using.

They're going after the smoke of choice for large portions of the black community.

What does that tell you?

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[-] ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If we don't stand with smokers and stop the American Heart Association now, then by the time it comes to force us to eat right and exercise, it'll be too late.

[-] ivanafterall@kbin.social 21 points 1 year ago

I'd love to stand with smokers, but standing makes me winded.

[-] EyesInTheBoat@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Have you run a marathon this week? No? Your medical insurance rates are 2x until you resolve this problem.

[-] DBT@artemis.camp 15 points 1 year ago

Non-menthol cigs are fine, we just can’t stand for the ones black people prefer.

[-] stella@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago

Sigh. The only good drugs are the ones I take.

Let's stop policing what people put in their bodies, eh?

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You can't legislate morality, this isn't going to make people smoke less it will make people grumpy while smoking

[-] HooPhuckenKarez@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago

When they banned flavored cigarettes where I am, they had to make a carveout for menthol cigarettes. The claim at thie time was, banning menthol was racist because black people mostly smoke menthols. Early aughts ftr.

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[-] kttnpunk@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Or you know, we could just regulate and test what goes into these products rather than create another black market for ones that will only inevitably be produced with even less quality overseas and imported

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this post was submitted on 05 Nov 2023
309 points (96.7% liked)

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