Ny Times Article - "bill To Ban Flavored Cigarettes", Can Shisha Be Next?

[nathan_Choi]

Article - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/business...tobacco.html?hp

I read this yesterday but forgot to post about it. There is a bill that will be voted on soon about a ban of flavored cigarettes, specifically candy flavored ones (I assume this applies to grape, peach, etc etc) Seeing as there isn't much regulation of shisha/hookah currently, combined with it's recent popularity, do you think regulation, or even a ban of shisha will be coming soon?

Personally I think we're in the golden age of it all right now. There's plenty of independent growers/producers, and it's pretty much available everywhere and is easily purchased online. However the day is coming when many politicians will be jumping on the anti hookah bandwagon, to stop "evil" tobacco makers from targetting our children with flavored tobacco you smoke from a hookah

What do you guys think? Should shisha be more regulated? Is it all BS? Will anything follow this proposed ban of flavored cigarettes?

[Codename067]

Talk about lame.

I'd still smoke it in my garage..

[Canon]

if that happened i bet instead of selling shisha, they would sell the flavoring with the tobacco leaves with instructions..

[nathan_Choi]

Talk about lame.

I'd still smoke it in my garage..

Same. The local lounge here makes their own shisha, so as long as I have a connection to them I'd still be ok. What I would be concerned about is if they banned online sales of shisha.... that'd really piss me off.

[r1v3th3ad]

this is why we need Ron Paul...

[Canon]

this is why we need Ron Paul...

+1


sad that the edumacated in america is the minority Edited April 4, 2008 by Canon

[nathan_Choi]

this is why we need Ron Paul...

An interesting PS to that article, I only read it in the print version though, not the online one - Bush says he might veto the bill if it gets that far. And one Republican said he would filibuster if he needed to.

I think this might be the first time ever I support a Republican action

[seefoodlover]

I don't think you guys need to worry about them banning flavored cigarettes or shisha, that is not what is on politicians minds right now. Besides, they don't do anything about the things that are on theyre minds .

[Rani]

Article - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/business...tobacco.html?hp

I read this yesterday but forgot to post about it. There is a bill that will be voted on soon about a ban of flavored cigarettes, specifically candy flavored ones (I assume this applies to grape, peach, etc etc) Seeing as there isn't much regulation of shisha/hookah currently, combined with it's recent popularity, do you think regulation, or even a ban of shisha will be coming soon?

Personally I think we're in the golden age of it all right now. There's plenty of independent growers/producers, and it's pretty much available everywhere and is easily purchased online. However the day is coming when many politicians will be jumping on the anti hookah bandwagon, to stop "evil" tobacco makers from targetting our children with flavored tobacco you smoke from a hookah

What do you guys think? Should shisha be more regulated? Is it all BS? Will anything follow this proposed ban of flavored cigarettes?

They have been trying to ban flavored cigarettes for a while and I hear their reasoning is because they're more appealing to teenages and encourage cigarette smoking. While there will undoubtedly be those who would like to ban all tobacco products shisha is less likely a target because it requires a relative expensive (by teenage standards anyway) implement to smoke it. I don't know that we're likely to see any kind of ban on it anytime soon. I suspect the most that will ever happen is that like alcohol you will have to prove your age to purchase eventually.

'Rani

[Baby Space Jesus]

well i am just really glad to see that the government is FINALLY cracking down on the big issues here in the greatest country on earth. wow. thats ridiculous. Candy flavored cigarettes are a thorn in the side of the American way of life. Your tax dollars at work in another fine way!

[Ralleac]

well i am just really glad to see that the government is FINALLY cracking down on the big issues here in the greatest country on earth. wow. thats ridiculous. Candy flavored cigarettes are a thorn in the side of the American way of life. Your tax dollars at work in another fine way!

Well, in their defense tobacco smoking results in hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. It isn't like it is a small or unimportant issue. We can all dismiss it because we like smoking and all know someone who's lived passed 90 smoking 2 packs a day, but that won't change the fact that it is bad for us. I don't agree with banning tobacco products purely because I think it should be a personal choice.

[Stinkyfisherman]

if that happened i bet instead of selling shisha, they would sell the flavoring with the tobacco leaves with instructions..

that would be crazy. its gonna be a sad day when a bill passes regulating shisha

[Bulldog_916]

well i am just really glad to see that the government is FINALLY cracking down on the big issues here in the greatest country on earth. wow. thats ridiculous. Candy flavored cigarettes are a thorn in the side of the American way of life. Your tax dollars at work in another fine way!

Well, in their defense tobacco smoking results in hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. It isn't like it is a small or unimportant issue. We can all dismiss it because we like smoking and all know someone who's lived passed 90 smoking 2 packs a day, but that won't change the fact that it is bad for us. I don't agree with banning tobacco products purely because I think it should be a personal choice.

The anti-smoking lobbies dont think it should be a choice you make. They think they know more than you and they'll strong arm Washington into thinking it too. THAT my friend is TRUTH.

[jamesh2]

guys lets be honest
this has nothing to do with the safety of the children, and if it did they would ban tobacco all togeather
these bills against flavored cigarettes and cloves get HUGE support from the tobacco companies that the sales of these items benefit

[mathuv]

They have been trying to ban flavored cigarettes for a while and I hear their reasoning is because they're more appealing to teenages and encourage cigarette smoking. While there will undoubtedly be those who would like to ban all tobacco products shisha is less likely a target because it requires a relative expensive (by teenage standards anyway) implement to smoke it. I don't know that we're likely to see any kind of ban on it anytime soon. I suspect the most that will ever happen is that like alcohol you will have to prove your age to purchase eventually.

'Rani

Im gonna have to slightly disagree with you here.. i mean, you can get a pretty decent hookah for around $30 from your local arab grocery (mine is a 24 inch egyptian, smokes really well and cost me less than $30 and i can get a KM for $60 i found out yesterday..) but you do have a point. i beleive hookah smoking can be more expensive than cigarette smoking as you're always buying new accessories, supples (coals, mouthtips,etc) and flavours. also another good point is that it might not be appealing to teenagers because you cant hide a hookah as easily as a packet of cigarettes.. i agree on the proof of age thing to purchase tobacco, here in Malta its not really enforced but if they see an obviously underage kid trying to buy tobacco, he's asked for proof of age. Hell, i hate it when little kids (12,13) are allowed to buy tobacco. a couple of weeks ago i saw a kid, he looked no older than 12 or 13 smoking a hookah with a bunch of older people. if i worked at that lounge i'd kick him and the rest of the table out.. if the police were there that night, the club could have been fined anywhere from $1500-$6000 for having an underage kid on the premises. I mean, we were (and some of us still are ) young once and lets not pretend we never tried to sneak into a night club or buy liquour when we were underage but i mean come ON...if its OBVIOUS (his face looked like a little kid's and he was about 4 foot 7, he was DEFINATLEY not 16..) he's underage, someone should do something about it..

thats my €0.02