Judge Blocks Cigarette Warning Labels

‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ a popular saying goes. The adage might have been coined to convey the idea that a picture can more readily express a complex issue, otherwise difficult to explain in words. But it also reminds us that images to the human mind are a more powerful media than simple text.

With this in mind the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in their effort to curb smoking related diseases in June 2011 issued a rule requiring tobacco companies to display graphic warning labels on the top front and back of each cigarette package. The images cover a variety of smoking related diseases ranging from diseased mouths to a person smoking through a tracheostomy tube.

While smoking has been slightly in decline in Western countries it is still on the march in the developping world. And even in the West it is still responsible for millions of unnecessary (and costly) letal diseases. In an previous attempt to discourage smoking the size of textual warning labels had already been increased, but with mixed results. Now the new graphic lables were supposed to have a bigger impact.

After in August 2011 the big tobacco companies filed a lawsuit against the FDA’s requirements, a federal judge of the U.S. District Court of Columbia has now blocked the implementation of the new labels arguing that they violate free speech. The new labels would indeed have been more prominent on the packages than the company’s name.

Yet the harmful effects of smoking are scientifically so undisputed that it would be a pity if the new labels won’t be able to serve their educational purpose and keep a young generation of upcoming smokers from inflicting harm on themselves.

Scroll down the below labels to check out for yourself:

 (pictures courtesy of the FDA)