 FDA: Up In Smoke To achieve this goal, the FDA will be able to regulate the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes, ban flavoring excluding menthol (even if it's that nasty kind synthetically made from coal tar!), ban store displays using color (this piece will not impact dogs or the color-blind so much but still needs to be tested on the blind-folded and seeing-eye dogs) and bans usage of terms such as "light" and "low tar." Conversely, "not dark" and "lower tar" were overlooked in the original legislation and thus deemed accidentally acceptable. The only ban the FDA does not have the authorization to do is to ban smoking itself. Except in Federal buildings. A satisfied Dr. Nancy Nielsen of the American Medical Association said "Passage of this historic legislation by both the House and the Senate is a victory for public health over Big Tobacco." Smiles everyone, smiles! [Editor's Note: Why is everything so damn historic all the time?] And why is it, Editor, that whenever the Government or its agencies or its countless Czars despises an industry they refer to it as "Big." "Big Oil" "Big Coal" "Big Tobacco." Funny how none of them are concerned with our ever-growing Big Government. [Editor: Big Thoughts!] This twisted tobacco legislation will only further ensure the demise of revenues for the expanded SCHIP legislation passed earlier this year. That bill substantially increased the federal taxes on tobacco in order to pay for more childrens health care. So what happens when smoking becomes so unaffordable that people stop doing it? How will the SCHIP program be funded then? Will you still be able to bum a cigarette from a perfect stranger at your local dive bar? Will smoking become cool again as the new wealth status symbol? Ken Bousquet, owner of the Consumers Propane and Gas Station in Woonsocket, RI noted that two of his employees who were smokers quit because it is just too expensive for them. He also noted a 50% decline in the sale of cigarettes in his shop since his State of Rhode Island instituted a tobacco tax on top of the Federal taxes raising the price of a pack of cigarettes from $6.50 to $8.35. Tobacco products account for 50% of his total sales so his livelihood (and the tax base he drives back to Rhode Island) is in a world of hurt. By raising taxes, Rhode Island has effectively reduced its take. Just more genius liberals sans economics degrees I suppose.... As reported by Convenience Store News, convenience store owners across the fruited plain are noting tobacco sales decreases of 10 - 25% in most cases. Consumers who live in high tax states but border lower tax states simply drive across the line for cheaper cigarettes thereby polluting not only their own lungs upon lighting up but also our environment (cough, cough) by exuding excessive carbon emissions due to the extra drive. (Hack Carbon cough Footprint hack.) In the end, cigarette makers will simply off-shore more of their operations and sales. There is a much bigger, friendlier market overseas and less taxes. And that, ultimately, results in less taxes for the US. Less taxes for the US means that non-smokers and anti-smokers will pay the difference in reduced taxes no longer collected by smokers. Such sweet, tarry irony if you're a smoker.... On a positive note America may actually see a decrease in lung cancer deaths. But that will be replaced by coronary disease as we all get fatter. And that's the word of the day. - WOTDO
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