Graphic Anti-Smoking Signs May Soon Be Law At Sales Counter

062409smokesignal.jpg The city's health department just wants you to be healthy, which is why you can no longer innocently order a pina colada at Pizzeria Uno while pretending it doesn't contain multitudes of calories. The latest proposal to dispel New Yorkers' ignorant bliss involves requiring any retailers selling cigarettes to display graphic warning signs (like the sample here) about the dangers of smoking, plus information on where to seek help quitting. The proposed measure would require retailers to post the warnings wherever tobacco products are displayed, and also at the cash register or point of purchase. Officials hope it will help more New Yorkers quit; according to DOH stats, tobacco-related illness kills 7,400 people in the city each year. In fact, smoking kills more New Yorkers than AIDS, drugs, homicide and suicide combined! So today the Board of Health voted to solicit public comment on the proposed amendment (which you can read here), and a public hearing will be held on July 30th. What do you think? Too graphic or not graphic enough? (And last year the Health Department unveiled a line of graphic anti-smoking matchbooks.)

Email This Entry


Comments (19) [rss]

I'm sure that will make a big difference, because most smokers don't know that it's bad for them.

Seriously, I'm all for less smokers, but to reiterate jayclay, you've got to be a complete idiot not to know that smoking is bad for you at this point. Any schmuck under the age of 20 who starts smoking in this day and age deserves to have lungs riddled with polyps.

Just don't expect me to foot your medical bills.

Actually, any schmuck under 100 should know it. The doughboys called cigarettes coffin nails back in 1917...

but they sure like the tax money collected by tobacco.

Stupid. The warning on the cigarette box says everything that needs to be said.

And following up on this concern about the welfare of our citizens, auto dealers are soon to have signs in their showrooms: "Over 40,000 Americans are killed each year by automobiles".

Yeah, and while we are at it why don't we post car-wreck photos at the bar to deter DWI and photos of fat people in the candy aisle.


Almost 2.2 million people -- including 862,012 New Yorkers -- live in neighborhoods where the levels of cancer-causing air pollutants exceed a 100 in 1 million cancer risk, an Environmental Protection Agency study found.
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/06/24/2009-06-24_new_yorkers_face_highest_increased_cancer_risk_from_air_pollution_epa_study_find.html

Cool.
It probably will help.

Graphic pictures of throat and mouth tumors on cigarette packs in Asia helped me quit smoking. Once I saw the pictures I didn't want to smoke ever again. I am all for anything that will help someone else quit smoking.

Really, that surprises me. You'd read warnings, heard all about cancer risk and lung disease and all the rest for your entire life but didn't worry about any of that until you saw graphic photos of diseased organs?

OK, maybe it will help some people then.

more self-righteous proselytizing by the tax hungry midget mayor.

We already have to look at those nasty ads on the subway of the woman with her fingers chopped off. Enough is enough.

Actually, those ads are the better ones. You can't scare kids with cancer, it's too long term. But, to lose your fingers can scare anybody.

People know smoking is bad, they still do it. This is just the nanny state politicians jerking themselves off.

I am quitting smoking and every time I see one of those freaky ads I ache for a smoke. Totally stress inducing. I especially like the ones that show people who are fucked up even though they quit. Thanks for the support NYCDOH. At least I am keeping my taxes from them by quitting. Assholes.

Surgeon General's Warning: Smoking causes hysteria.

Anti-smoking ads and signage never work because they hire cheap ad-makers who don't know how to make ads. Usually ads we see are graphic, condescending, self-righteous or too obvious.

I've only seen one good anti-smoking ad campaign, and it's the only one that empathizes with the smoker. American Legacy "Re-learn Coffee". Beautiful ad, and you can tell a lot of thought went into it. It's been much more effective than this self-righteous Australian ad that attempts to "guilt" you into quitting.

All the nannies in the world will not intimidate me into using pharmaceutical nicotine or drugs that are proven more harmful than smoking. If smokers want to quit they will. I don't want my behavior modified to profit bug pharma with their cessation products. I will not account for my actions to strangers. I don't want the government trampling my friend's property rights. We used to smoke while in the hospital. Shocked? You have been socially engineered to the detriment of freedom with lies construed by bug pharma's money!

Post a comment (Comment Policy)

Tips

Get your daily dose of New York first thing in the morning from our weekday newsletter, now in beta.

About Gothamist

Gothamist is a website about New York. More

Editor: Jen Chung
Publisher: Jake Dobkin

Newsmap

newsmap.jpg

Contribute

Latest Tip:

SLICE has opened in the former home of Monster Sushi, Hudson Street near Charles... the latest sign
[more]

Latest Photo:

Subscribe

Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.

All Our RSS