Stores that sell cigarettes to start displaying new warning signs
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Starting on Saturday, smokers might see new signs posted in stores where they buy cigarettes, warning them of the dangers of smoking.
The signs were originally ordered in 2006 as part of a federal court ruling that tobacco companies lied to customers about health risks.
Vendors fought the signs for more than 16 years, but they will start appearing on Saturday, and must be up by the end of September
Cigarette packages already carry warnings, so we asked an official for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids what these new signs will accomplish.
"They're small warnings. They're on the sides of the packs. Surveys show nobody pays attention to them anymore, so we need to communicate these health messages in a more powerful way, and we think these particular signs are so important, because they are right adjacent to the display of the cigarette packs themselves," said Dennis Henigan, vice president of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
There has been so much research and information put out there about how bad smoking is for our health, and cigarette packets already have warning signs, so what makes Henigan think larger signs at the point of sale will make a difference in stopping anyone who wants to smoke?
"Well, we feel like we need to continue to use every tool at our disposal to convey these messages about the hazards of cigarettes," he said. "Thirty million Americans still smoke, and you've got 1,100 kids starting smoking every day."
Henigan said it's a particularly important message that tobacco companies are being forced to tell the truth about the dangers of smoking.
The signs must remain in stores for 21 months.