Photo: Food and Drug Administration
The Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a new tobacco-control strategy today, including 36 proposals for graphic new labels to replace the widely ignored surgeon general's warning currently on cigarette packages. The FDA is asking for public comment before it narrows them down to nine. Here is a comment: How did you get Garry Trudeau to do that cigarette-in-the-vein illustration? Kudos. Considering we are already on our third Nicorette of the day, maybe there is something to the scads of medical research that says nicotine is addictive. Anti-smoking efforts have stalled out in recent years, but it remains to be seen how cigarette manufacturers will try to obscure the labels, which must appear on all packaging by next October.