Tobacco

TOBACCO LEGISLATION

I've seen many of my patients suffer and die because they couldn't stop using tobacco. In my soon to be published book, "All Medicines Are Poison," I tell some of these stories. I was glad to hear the tobacco regulation was going to be under FDA control. But when I read that the tobacco industry had a hand in crafting this law, I realized that the FDA would be unable to do much of value to control the use of tobacco and its dangers. Americans will continue to suffer and die until effective legislation is passed, free of the tobacco industry's influence.


LA Times June 3th article “Blowing smoke with legislation” sure corrected my opinion that putting tobacco under FDA supervision is a good thing.
The article indicates that the Philip Morris Company helped in the crafting of the legislation. The author is a Boston University professor who specializes in tobacco policy analysis. If what he reports is true, and I believe it is, this legislation has actually given no genuine ways to make tobacco smoking safer.
I practiced as a family doctor for 47 years and can validate the many deaths and much illness that can be attributed to tobacco. It’s very addictive and most of my patients could not stop using it even though they were well aware of the damage it was causing to their lungs and other organs.
We need legislation that does not include the tobacco industry’s input. There are plenty of doctors and other experts who can attest to the extreme danger of using this substance.

Melvin H Kirschner, MPH, MD