Thursday, August 18, 2011

Put That In Your Pipe

Tobacco companies are suing to prevent the FDA from forcing them to put graphic images on cigarette packs, claiming such regulations violate their free speech rights.  Seems to me that's correct.

It's tough enough to justify any warnings on tobacco, but at least you could say the government is requiring sellers to put out consumer information, just like many other companies must. (Not that that it ends that argument, just that it's been found constitutional so far.) But requiring what's hoped to be powerfully anti-tobacco images on packs goes beyond informing the consumer and into forcing manufacturers to put out government propaganda.

Tobacco companies are very unpopular, but they're still selling a legal product, and there should be limits to what the government can do.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Denver Guy said...

As we move toward the legalization of pot (isn't it a ballot initiative in CA this Nov.?), I wonder if the avg. proponent of legalization will support a gov't campaign against this product once it is legal. I'm in favor of decriminalization, at least, but it would seem ridiculous to legalize pot, and then require warnings against its use on packaging and in PSAs.

9:02 AM, August 18, 2011  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well legalization and and de-criminalization may involve the same steps,they do reflect different frames of mind. The idea legal pot isn't for the government to promote ganja use (in fact, it will be free to disfavor it as much as tobacco and liquor) as much as to stop inflicting harsh legal penalties on users. Tat leaves open the the option of inflicting less harsh legal impediments- taxes, warning labels, no smoking laws in certain areas, DUI etc...

It is interesting to think how the gov would act against pot which [for obvious reasons] does not yet involve large taxpaying employers. For that reason a more feelgood drug and initially would not be the target of regulatory class (since up to now, thats been handled by criminal justice and drug crusaders). Probably wouldnt see major gov't action against pot until there was a producer on NYSE

11:59 AM, August 18, 2011  

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