New Cigarette Labels

Coming soon to the nearest cigarette pack, graphic pictures of what smoking can actually do. But will these labels work?

Experts are certainly hoping that pictures of rotting teeth or even a corpse will get some to give up the smoking habit.

The U.S. was the first country to issue warnings on cigarette packages over 25 years ago. But now many nations have been putting graphic and even gruesome pictures, of what can happen when someone smokes, right on the box so you have to see it before lighting up. And in those other countries the pictures seem to help cut down on smoking, so now the U.S. is adding similar ones. The FDA is requiring that by October 22 of next year all cigarettes sold in the U.S. have one of nine graphic pictures along with short one liners like "cigarettes cause cancer." The pictures will cover most of the package and include images of a man smoking from a tracheotomy tube, a mom holding a baby with smoke swirling around both of them and even a picture of diseased lungs caused by cigarette smoking.

Each label will also include a national quit hotline phone number with the hope being that after seeing the pictures smokers will call the line to get help in breaking this costly addiction. And although some experts feel the photos used on packaging here in the U.S. are too tame, especially when compared to what other countries use, they do hope the message gets carried to all smokers, but especially young teenagers who are picking up a cigarette package for the first time. A little shock value to get them to hopefully stop a bad and deadly habit.