As of last week, the clove cigarette and many of its other flavored brethren like vanilla and chocolate are now contraband. If you want some cloves now, you may want to try to find shifty-looking guys in trench coats standing outside tobacconist's shops.
Now that the regulation of tobacco products has fallen under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration, the types of cigarettes that are seen as "enticing children to smoke" are now being taken away.
We understand the logic behind this move, as many people who start smoking often begin their habit with flavored cigarettes.
Pre-teen and teen smoking is a serious issue in this country, and we applaud the government for taking some steps to recognize the issue is a growing problem.
We fully support their decision to remove the meaningless labels of "low tar," "light" and "mild" currently found on packages.
It doesn't matter how those packs are labeled; smoking will still kill you eventually.
Honestly, we're even mildly OK with the idea of banning some of the flavors like vanilla or chocolate that have more of a youth-based appeal.
But cloves? What kid do you know that says clove is their favorite flavor?
Even if such a ban is done in the name of public safety and health concerns, we're don't know how we feel about the government suddenly forbidding these products to be sold to the citizenry.
Should the government's hand be seen messing with economics so clearly?
Shouldn't it be invisible?
If these new laws and bans going into effect do stop people from starting to smoke, then perhaps a great deal of good has been done.
But, we can't help but think that a kid who wants to smoke is still going to find a way to smoke, even if a flavored alternative is not available.
Part of growing up and becoming an adult is learning the decisions you make have consequences on your life.
If we allow the government to continue to ban products for the "safety of our children," how long will it be before we see a ban on grape Kool-Aid, since it is well known to be the main ingredient of the dreaded "purple drank"?
In today's day and age, anyone who doesn't know that cigarettes will kill you is obviously somehow deficient and shouldn't be allowed to make decisions.
For the rest of us, the choice is, and should continue to be, ours to make.
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