M. Simonsen - Comment

I agree that restrictions should be placed on tobacco advertisements. According to the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2000) “regulating advertising and promotion, particularly which directed at young people, is very likely to reduce both the prevalence and initiation of smoking.” I am for the current age restrictions to purchase tobacco products. However, further restrictions can possibly lower the number of tobacco users. Advertisements for tobacco products persuade consumers to purchase products that can potentially be life threatening. “On average, during 2000–2004 smoking accounted for an estimated 3.1 million years of potential life lost for males and 2 million years of potential life lost for females annually, excluding deaths from residential fires and adult deaths from secondhand smoke,” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 2009). Tobacco doesn’t only affect those people that use the product; it can affect those that are around the product as well. Second hand smoke is very dangerous. Laws forbidding smoking in restaurants is a great regulation and should be carried out nationwide. It is on a person to decide for themselves whether or not they would like to use tobacco. However, it is not up to them to decide for other and that is why those regulations, and this proposal, are very important. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2000). Smoking and tobacco use: tobacco advertising and promotion. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2000/highlights/advertising/index.htm Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Smoking and tobacco use: Smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and productivity losses—United States, 2000-2004. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/mmwrs/byyear/2008/mm5745a3/highlights.htm