Page Two
W E MICHIGAN DAILY
Thursday, July 21', 1977
Page Two 1-IE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, July 21, 1977
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'Warning: Cigarette Smoking is
a Major Health Hazard and
May Result in Your Death'
WASHINGTON (AP) - The
Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) said yesterday that cig-
arette packages should flatly
warn that smoking may kill you
rather than saying it is merely
dangerous to your health.
It also recommended that the
tar and nicotine content of cig-
arettes appear on all packages
and in all, advertising. And it
said a strong warning should be
required on little cigar pack-
ages.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS to
Congress were made in the com-
mission's report for 1976.
Since 1970, cigarette packages
have been required by law to
carry the statement: "Warning:
The Surgeon General Has Deter-
mined that Cigarette Smoking is
Dangerous to Your Health."
The commission asked Con-
gress to consider two stronger
statements:
"Warning: Cigarette Smoking
is Dangerous to Health, and May
Cause Death from Cancer, Coro-
nary Heart Disease, Chronic
Bronchitis, Pulmonary Emphy-
sema and Other Diseases."
Or, "Warning: Cigarette
Smoking is a Major Health Haz-
ard and May Result in Your
Death."
THE FTC NOTED that the
latter statement had been ap-
proved by the American Can-
cer Society's board of direc-
tors.
The commission renewed its
recommendation that warnings
be required on packages of lit-
tle cigars: It suggested:
"Warning: Smoking Little Cig-
ars May Be Dangerous to Your
Health if Inhaled and Smoked in
the Same Quantities as Cigaret-
tes."
THE COMMISSION said it
based its recommendation on a
1973 Public Health Service re-
port that little cigars may pre-
sent the same health problems
as cigarettes if smoked in the
same quantities and if the smoke
is inhaled.
Since 1973 the°broadcast ad-
vertising of little cigars has
been prohibited by law. Ciga-
rette advertising on radio and
televiison has been prohibited
since 1971.
Asked for comment on
the FTO recommendations, a
spokeswoman for the Tobacco
Institute, a trade association
representing the major cigarette
manufacturers, said the public
should decide for itself.
"IT IS CERTAINLY the re-
sponsibility of the government
to warn us of any alleged or
potential health hazard,thut we
question just how far that re-
sponsibility should go. We feel
that informed consumers of the
United States should be able to
make their own decisions vis-
a-vis tobacco, saccharin or any
other consumer item," said
Anne Browder, assistant to the
president of the institute.
The FTO has been urging
stronger warnings about ciga-
rettes since 1964 when it said
the lebal should include words
such as "cancer" and "death."
In 1969, the label was changed
to substitute "warning" for
"caution" and to assert that
s m o k i n g "is" dangerous to
health rather than that smoking
"may be" hazardous to health.
A Public Service of this newspaper & The Advertising Council s
David
lair e
coup ed
onus.
When David had open heart surgery
not long ago, he needed six vital
units of blood, type 0 Neg. All of it
was obtained, processed and pro-
vided by the Red Cross blood center.
We're not the heroes of this
lifesaving story (the six wonderful
blood donors should get the med-
als). But we (and other voluntary
blood centers) do need your con-
tinued support. Blood, you know,
doesn't grow on trees. It comes from
donors. Like you. And we
need more people like
you. Call your Red Cross
or other voluntary blood
center soon. Please.
Red Cross.
AN FTO SPOKESPERSON de-
clined to speculate on the
chances that Congress this year
will approve tougher language.
The FTO said despite efforts
to warn cigarette smokers, the
average level of smoking has
remained high. It noted an Agri-
culture Department report that
unit sales in 1976 were 1 per
cent above the 1975 level and
that per capita consumption of
cigarettes in 1976 was about the
same as 1975.
The commission said its col-
lection of data on advertising
expenditures and sales from
cigarette manufacturers has not
been prepared because of the
refusal of the six major pro-
ducers to file the required re-
ports and the consequent need
to take enforcement action.
The commission said three
themes are commonly found in
cigarette advertisements: 1. ap-
peals to satisfying taste, 2. as-
sociation of the a d v e rt i s e d
brand with- desirable personality
characteristics, and 3. relieving
anxieties about the risks to
health posed by cigarette smok-
ing.
The indelible pencil was in-
vented by Edson P.'Clark of
Northampton, Mass., in 1866.
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Volume LXXXvII, No. 48-S
Thursday, July 21, 1977
Is edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan. News
phone 7s4-0562. Second class postage
paid at Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.
Published daily Tuesday through
Sunday morning during the Univer-
sity year at 420 Maynard Street, Ann
Arbor, Michigan 48109. Subscription
rates: $12 Sept. thru April (2 semes-
ters); $13 by mail outside Ann
Arbor.
summer session published Tues
day through Saturday morning.
Subscription rates: $6.50 In. Ann
Arbor; $7.50 by mail outside Anil
Arbor.
The Good Neighbor.