Cigarette Warning Labels
Posted by Michelle Moquin on August 18th, 2011
Good morning!
Like what Robert posted the other day…this is just another reason to be thankful Obama is our president. I wanted to post this article today, and I am looking for others to post, because many people don’t realize just how much president Obama has done during his time in the White House. This article below is a fine example of what the past presidents didn’t care enough to dare touch, and Obama cared enough about to do something. Imagine just how much Obama could get done in his second term.
Cigarette Warning Labels: Tobacco Companies Sue Federal Government Over Graphic Warnings
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Associated Press)– Four of the five largest U.S. tobacco companies sued the federal government Tuesday over new graphic cigarette labels that include the sewn-up corpse of a smoker and a picture of diseased lungs, saying the warnings violate their free speech rights and will cost millions of dollars to print.
The companies, led by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Lorillard Tobacco Co., said the warnings no longer simply convey facts to allow people to make a decision whether to smoke. They instead force them to put government anti-smoking advocacy more prominently on their packs than their own brands, the companies say. They want a judge to stop the labels.
Click here to see the new warning labels.
“Never before in the United States have producers of a lawful product been required to use their own packaging and advertising to convey an emotionally-charged government message urging adult consumers to shun their products,” the companies wrote in the lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, D.C.
The FDA refused to comment, saying the agency does not discuss pending litigation. But when she announced the new labels in June, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called them frank and honest warnings about the dangers of smoking.
The FDA approved nine new warnings to rotate on cigarette packs. They will be printed on the entire top half, front and back, of the packaging. The new warnings also must constitute 20 percent of any cigarette advertising. They also all include a number for stop-smoking hotline
One warning label is a picture of a corpse with its chest sewed up and the words: “Smoking can kill you.” Another label has a picture of a healthy pair of lungs beside a yellow and black pair with a warning that smoking causes fatal lung disease.
The lawsuit said the images were manipulated to be especially emotional. The tobacco companies said the corpse photo is actually an actor with a fake scar, while the healthy lungs were sanitized to make the diseased organ look worse.
The companies also said the new labels will cost them millions of dollars for new equipment so they can frequently change from warning to warning and designers to make sure the labels meet federal requirements while maintaining some distinction among brands.
Joining R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard in the suit are Commonwealth Brands Inc., Liggett Group LLC and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company Inc. Altria Group Inc., parent company of the nation’s largest cigarette maker, Philip Morris USA, is not a part of the lawsuit.
The free speech lawsuit is a different action than a suit by several of the same companies over the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The law, which took affect two years ago, cleared the way for the more graphic warning labels, but also allowed the FDA to limit nicotine. The law also banned tobacco companies from sponsoring athletic or social events and prevented them from giving away free samples or branded merchandise.
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michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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August 18th, 2011 at 8:31 am
BEWARE BEAUTIFUL WILDFLOWER THAT CAN BURN YOU
Gardeners, hikers, campers and most especially children — in fact, anyone who spends time outdoors — should be on the alert for a dangerous weed that can be found in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest and increasingly in many other states.
It’s a strikingly tall and attractive plant, with enormous leaves and a hoola-hoop-sized flower head with clusters of tiny white flowers. Strangely enough, it’s also a member of the carrot family.
Called giant hogweed, this particular plant has sap so poisonous that the US government officially decreed it a “noxious species” in 1983, preventing its sale and importation.
Unfortunately, it’s already here — and hard to get rid of.
If you come into contact with the sap of a giant hogweed plant and then expose yourself to sunlight, the sap will cause your skin to blister so badly that it’s potentially as dangerous as having third-degree burns.
Oh — and one other thing — if the sap gets in your eyes, it can cause blindness.
IT’S GETTING WORSE
Initially the hogweed went through a “lag phase” (a botanist’s term referring to a period of slow spread). But that has ended.
In New York State and other parts of the US, this “giant alien” is spreading and an increasing number of people are coming into contact with it.
To learn more about the dangers of giant hogweed, I spoke with both Antonio DiTommaso, PhD, associate professor of weed ecology and management at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and Melissa A. Bravo, Pennsylvania Noxious Weed Program manager, a nationally recognized expert.
Ironically, giant hogweed was purposely brought to the US from Europe early in the 1900s because it was thought to be beautiful.
The plant was valued by horticulturalists and was used in many ornamental gardens despite the fact that not only the stems but also the buds, seeds and roots have high concentrations of the toxic sap.
IT HURTS!
According to Dr. DiTommaso, giant hogweed is dangerous to anyone and everyone — “it’s not like poison ivy in that some people aren’t bothered by it.”
We discussed how the plant grows and spreads and what people need to know to stay safe…
When it appears: Small leaf clusters sprout in early spring. By late summer, the fruit and seeds form structures that resemble upside-down umbrellas (“umbels”).
These release seeds that disperse long distances on the wind or in rain run-off. The seeds can stay dormant in soil for up to five years.
Where it appears: Giant hogweed thrives in cool, wet places and rich soil — such as near garbage dumps, ravines, roadways, streams — and, of course, around many homes and gardens.
What it looks like: Giant hogweed’s most notable physical characteristic is its towering height — it typically is at least eight feet tall when in flower and has been known to grow as high as 15 feet.
Also notable are the umbrella-shaped flower clusters. The leaves are extremely large and deeply incised (“fernlike,” according to Dr. DiTommaso) — they measure up to five feet across.
The stems are distinctive, too — hollow and ridged with large purple blotches and coarse white bristles that are especially dense where the leaves branch out from the stems.
What’s really bad: The hollow stems are appealing to children, who use them as blowpipes, pretend telescopes or in “sword play,” leading to burns and, as noted above, even causing blindness.
Why it’s dangerous: It’s the highly concentrated sap that makes giant hogweed so caustic even in young plants.
The reaction — blisters — occurs when skin that has been touched by the sap is exposed to sunlight, typically within 30 minutes to two hours.
You’ll be left with a problem called photodermatitis, meaning that the affected part of your body will develop a painful rash when exposed to sunlight — sometimes for many years after your initial exposure.
If your clothing, but not your skin, touches it: Launder clothing that may have come into contact with hogweed sap with laundry detergent and water, being sure to use gloves to pick up the clothes.
Do not mix the contaminated clothing with other clothing during washing.
If your skin touches it: Wash the affected area — using cold water only, no soap, because soap can drive the toxin further into the skin.
And remember to cover up if you are going to be exposed to sunlight. Bandages or long sleeves or even sunscreen will slow the reaction.
Should the blistering and rash become intensely painful, consult your doctor and indicate that the reaction you have is a burn and should be treated as such.
If you get the sap in your eyes: Rinse your eyes immediately with cold water, put on a pair of sunglasses and have someone drive you to an emergency room or, at minimum, to a doctor to determine whether you need treatment.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
Should you happen to encounter a giant hogweed plant, don’t touch it. Take a photo of it and send it to your local authorities (in most states, this will be the environmental conservation office or cooperative extension office).
It will likely take multiple applications of herbicide over a course of several years to make 100% sure the problem is solved.
If you find this plant on your own property, you may be tempted to deal with it yourself. Please don’t. Giant hogweed may have a silly-sounding name but what it does isn’t funny at all.
Source(s):
Antonio DiTommaso, PhD, associate professor of weed ecology and management, department of crop and soil sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Melissa A. Bravo, giant hogweed program manager, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
August 18th, 2011 at 8:55 am
Michelle, I so want to support women in politics. But the crop that the Republican party puts before us is ludicrous.
Christine O’Donnell, is being supported by my brother’s wife. She is always over here touting that woman. The woman supported witchcraft for god’sake.
If any Democrat had a history like O’Donnel she would be laughed out of politics. But because she is a Republican offer, we are supposed to take her seriously.
Maggie
August 18th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Huffpost leads with the title “Jesse Jackson, Maxine Waters Are ‘Overseers of 21st Century Plantation.”
The purpose of the misleading headline is to get African Americans to listen to the white boy’s house nigger Allen West, republican congressman from Florida, attempt to separate the black vote from Obama.
Good Luck with that white boy!
Unlike the easily manipulable white vote, blacks know the difference from the previous 43 and the 44 is the attitude from the previous 43 not to disturb the Affirmative Action Beneficiary status of the white male in America.
Obama sees it differently. He believes that everyone should have an equal opportunity at what America has to offer its citizens. Most of white America suspects that Obama will do what the other 43 white did, set aside special privileges for his race.
That’s white ethics, not ours. We don’t want More, we just want EQUAL. Difficult as that is for a race that has had the lion share of the benefits America has to offer to understand, it is as simple as that.
Alycedale
August 18th, 2011 at 9:41 am
Sofia, your post yesterday about Human Events(don’t you love the way they use words to make their followers feel important) promoting Mark Steyn’s book pales to the constant promoting by both Human Events and Ann Coulter selling her books to the choir.
This woman has the gaul to claim her book was about today’s riots in London.
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August 17, 2011
Liberals Aren’t Funny,
They’re a Riot!
by Ann Coulter
Like you, I’ve been horrified by the eruptions of mob violence around the globe this summer. But having spent the last two years researching and writing a book about mobs, I’m also grateful to the ruffians for taking to the streets so soon after my book was released.
Thanks, you dirty animals. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.
When I decided to write about mobs, it was a relatively peaceful period. But as long as there is evil in the world, mobs will never be finally defeated. And as long as there are liberals, there will be some people stoking the mobs.
It was only a matter of time, although even I didn’t expect it quite this soon.
Mobs are always the same — destructive, left-wing and without any clear cause. Why were young people in Britain tearing apart their cities, burning down businesses and stealing electronics and designer clothes? Because the cops shot someone? Please…
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Like the murdochs sacrificing truth for profit is the way to go for these scumbags.
Ross
August 18th, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Michelle you are always talking about changes that Obama has made that the other 43 looked the other way about. Here is one:
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I wanted to make sure you saw the news: Today President Obama announced a common-sense policy change that will make our immigration system fairer and smarter. I’m proud to support it, and I hope you are, too.
Under the administration’s guidance, immigration courts are going to focus on deporting people who have been convicted of crimes or who pose a security risk.
This means that the courts will focus less on “low-priority” cases — like young people who were brought here as small children and know no other home, or veterans and military spouses.
So the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice will be reviewing the current deportation caseload, clearing out low-priority cases, and making sure they don’t get into the system in the first place –
keeping the focus on cases that will make our country safer. It’s a smart, strategic change. And it will make a difference.
But more comprehensive change requires Congress to act. And we’ll need to build momentum for this fight by raising awareness and demanding action on immigration reform. That starts with getting the word out to our friends and family about this important policy change.
The Republican presidential candidates are carbon copies of the congressional Republicans who have blocked common-sense change at every turn.
In last week’s Republican debates in Iowa, the candidates talked about walls, as if higher and longer fences could magically resolve this complex issue.
President Obama and the majority of Americans know that the real answer is much more complicated. That’s why he’s directing our immigration courts to focus on the cases that keep our country safe.
There’s a lot more we can do to improve our broken immigration system. President Obama will need us to keep up the pressure on our members of Congress to make that change happen.
Today’s announcement represents important progress that the President can make right now. Show you stand with him by passing on this good news to your friends:
Thanks,
Katherine
Katherine Archuleta
National Political Director
Obama for America
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Those other 43 white men were could not feel the oppression an OTW alien has to face. They are singled out and abused by the system while people like me get to skate by. I cannot tell you how many time I have been caught and winked at. But then I am 5’9″ attractive blond from Bosnia.
Sarah
August 19th, 2011 at 6:13 am
That time is here again. Check out the Miss Guam World Special. You’ll definitely want to tune in to KUAM-TV8 this Sunday night for the Miss Guam World 2011 People’s Choice Preliminary Special.
Mobile viewers will be able to text from their iConnect mobile phone or logon to KUAM.com and vote for their favorite contestant. On the night of the pageant the winner of the People’s Choice Award will be announced.
There are 14 contestants competing for the crown. KUAM’s special will feature the contestants in swimwear from DNA evolution.
The People’s Choice Preliminary Special is this Sunday at 7pm on KUAM-TV8 and at 8pm on KUAM-TV11.
Voting will be open from then until August 31, and make sure to tell your friends and family on the mainland because the show will be streaming live on KUAM.com and on our Facebook fan page and afterward on KUAM’s YouTube channel.
Hafa Adai
Anna
August 19th, 2011 at 6:27 am
Michelle, my nephew called to tell me to check out your article on smoking. I read your blog every day so I had read it already. But I guess Lenard called because his father died of lung cancer and still couldn’t stop smoking.
We put a pack of Marlboros in his grave.
It is criminal that this government allows a corporation to deliberately poison its citizens for profit. How hypocritical it is to say it is okay because they started doing it before we knew it kills.
Money is the white man’s true god. He will prostitute himself and his kin for that almighty dollar.
Glenda
August 19th, 2011 at 6:30 am
Roi:
I am finishing up my simulation human sexuality course. I would appreciate an answer to my question. Do you recommend that I bring a human male along whose hand I can hold when I have my first sexual encounter?
Luc
August 19th, 2011 at 6:33 am
The American Dream Movement, Contract: In an economy where millions are losing their homes and more are out of work, the American people are starting to fight back.
The “Rebuild the Dream” movement, founded by Van Jones, was born out of the hope of workers across the country that believe they can make a difference and create jobs while building a stronger economic foundation for future generations.
Below is “A Contract For the American Dream” that was built out of the input of more than 130,000 people. This Contract is the start to many events and protests that will begin happening around the country to ensure that those in Washington pay attention to the changes we demand to fulfill our American Dream.
August 19th, 2011 at 6:34 am
As radiation readings in Japan reach their highest levels since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant meltdowns, we look at the beginning of the atomic age.
August 9th was the 66th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki. . Three days after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
By official Japanese estimates, nearly 300,000 people died from the bombings, including those who lost their lives in the ensuing months and years from related injuries and illnesses.
November 13th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Acupuncture for buttock pain…
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