Comments about ‘Tobacco companies target kids, Utah health officials say’

alot of people dont want to quit. Why are they trying to force them? this day and age we all know the risks. but alot of us smoke cuz we want to. Alot of smokers that i know who have been smokeing for along time buy the flavored little cigars. it is nice to have a sweet treat sometimes. if you dont like smokeing stay away from it. we cant smoke indoors in Utah no more and i agree with that 100%. In this kind of economy should we be attacking a industry that holds thousands of jobs? if your kid starts to smoke before the legal age then it is the PARENTS fault. you have all these adds on TV about " staying connected" will help stop your kid from drinking. well the same goes for smokeing. you can't air an add agenst Jack danels for people who die after there liver shuts down. Why can you do it to Marlbro and Camel?

And as long as Tobacco is legal they should be able to package it however they want. They could put bugs bunny on the packaging and it still wouldn't make it legal for kids.

Utah has this weird morality. If the legislators don't want tobacco here then get the voters to vote to ban it.

I'm not for Tobacco, but I'm also not for ridiculously targeting products based on a moral agenda that is not supported by law.

The last thing tobacco users need is another reason to quit(that is being forced upon them). If we have the lowest % of smokers in the nation why target us again? How can that help? Tax DIET COKE use that money to pay for CHIP.

I guess the guilty take the TRUTH to be hard. Utah's tobacco tax is lower than California. It is lower than New York. It is lower than Arizona. This isn't a religion forcing California, New York, and Arizona to have higher taxes on tobacco, it is: 1. Common Sense. Behavioral economics can help people make better choices (tax soda=fewer soda drinkers); and 2. Public Health. Tobacco robs Utahns of their quality of life, and ultimately kills 1/3rd of those using it...and when they die, it isn't because it was their time to go, it is usually from a suffocating illness like emphysema, COPD, or a stroke that doesn't kill...it simply maims you for life.

Tobacco does need to be banned for health reasons. But until that happens, let's tax the he!! out of it so we can gain some restitution for the harm it causes.

First of all, it isn't the government's business what people eat or smoke. All of those surgeon general's warnings haven't stopped smoking, and the early mortality saves Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security money.

If the government wants to save money, it should sell cigarettes in schools and tax health food. Personally I don't think it should have a stance either way.

The "spin" the health police put on the issue of smoking gets wilder and wilder. Tobacco companies are banned by law from advertising to kids! If the law has indeed been violated, call the authorities. Just because smokes have some flavor doesn't necessarily mean they've been "targeted" to kids.
When/if the "health police" ever decide to "get real" with their criticism of smoking MORE CITIZENS will take them SERIOUSLY!

Smoking is a REAL BAD health practice, we all know that,but when statistics start to get "doctored" , or TAX INCREASES are disguised as "helping smokers quit", the do-gooders lose their credibility!

this is nothing but an argument to raise more revenue for government.

Very true Kristen: The "spin" about what it cost the state for smokers and such is total BS, they never once have said or given proof how they come up with their outlandish numbers. It's tobacco now, because it's feel good legislation. Just wait people when the revenue is not at all what they want, another product will be next! I quit five years ago because my kids asked me too. I think a per child tax in this state would do wonders for the budget!

Smoking stinks.

i believe that the cigarette companies should take them off of the market

Utah's debate about taxing tobacco and the UICAA law has nothing to do with religion. If you look at the facts, Utah's tobacco tax is quite low compared to the rest of the nation. There is also a national trend taking place causing more and more places of public access to become entirely tobacco-free, such as restaurants, workplaces and hospitals. This is not a trend of Utah's, but the nation. Tax the tobacco industry to death for they are the "legally" responsible for killing 443,000 Americans every year! Wake up people!

I agree. If you looked through the tobacco industry's internal documents (revealed after the Master Settlement Agreement around 1999) you will find shocking and clear statements as to their intent to market to youth using flavors. Big Tobacco knows how flavors generally appeal to youth more than to adults. They're no dummies. They know where their customer base needs to come from.

For my part I don't see the proposed tobacco tax as "utah morality"/religious (several other states have been much harder on tobacco than Utah, i.e. California, Arizona)or even economic - it's potential revenues are regressive by nature and couldn't be counted on long-term for reliable state revenue.

It's a health bill- meant to make youth access more difficult, and provide another incentive for the many smokers who would like to quit or are contemplating it (I've heard this estimated at 75% of all Utah smokers). I don't see it as an anti-smoker bill either. It's an anti-smoking bill. It's meant to help, not harm or hurt or ostracize or stigmatize.

Is it the parents fault because they too are smokers thus presenting an opportunity for youth to gain access?

Energy drinks are targeted to teens, and E.D. medications are directed to old men. The problem lies with the addictive nature that is nicotine which is stronger once introduced at such a young age.

The real "spin" is, it is a documented fact that the tobacco companies have lied about targeting to youth in the past. They will continue to do so even if we can't catch them in their lie this time.

It is a fact people quit when rates go up. It is a fact that youth decrease in initiation. It is a fact the state needs more revenue. How is this NOT a solution?