Sept. 22, the Food and Drug Administration banned all flavored tobacco, filters and papers from being produced, shipped or sold. Along with the previous ban on indoor smoking, the FDA is attempting to reduce the amount of smoking  throughout the country. General consensus is that the ban on flavored cigarettes will not help the FDA reach this goal.

Tammy Williams, a former ten-year employee of Philip Morris, the largest tobacco manufacturing plant, the creator of Marlboro and Virginia Slim products, wonders how far the ban will apply due to most cigarette blends containing some portion of a flavored additive.

“I don’t believe the ban on flavored cigarettes will help the FDA achieve its goal because nicotine is extremely addictive. People that crave nicotine will adjust to non-flavored cigarettes, once flavored cigarettes become obsolete,” Williams said.

Williams believes the ban will not have a great impact on the amount of cigarettes consumed by Americans, but the ban might have partial affect on adolescent smokers.

“I do think there is a chance that young, new smokers could be less tempted to smoke due to the ban on flavored cigarettes,” she said.

The new law bans all tobacco with flavors like cocoa, clove, or cherry. Tobacco industries will either decide to destroy its flavored products and create a new recipe or continue to vend the remaining flavored products.

“I think most companies that manufacture or vend tobacco products will pull them from the shelves, but there will be some that will continue to distribute illegally,” said Williams.

She thinks different tobacco industries will be affected in different ways.

“Tobacco industries that have high production of flavored tobacco products will be impacted, but the main stream smokers will not be effected detrimentally,” she said.

If companies attempt to clear the inventory of flavored cigarettes, consumers could be forced to smoke old tobacco products.

“There is a code on every pack and carton of manufactured Marlboro products that indicates the production date and location information. Tobacco products should be rotated accordingly, but I have personally purchased a packet of out-of-date cigarettes. This proves that rules are often not followed,” she said.

Joseph Cruthfield, a senior majoring in Communications Media, feels the ban on flavored cigarettes will not have a great influence on smokers.

“Most smokers, whether they are young or old, do not start smoking cherry flavored cigarettes. They start out with a regular cigarette,” Cruthfield said.

Cruthfield questions exactly which flavored cigarette products are being banned.

“Marlboro Reds are full flavored cigarettes that are not menthol, will the FDA also ban cigarettes that are not a candy or fruit like flavor? If the FDA bans flavored cigarettes, who is to

say the ban could not evidentially lead to all tobacco products. It would be hard for the FDA to discontinue a cash crop because it is unhealthy for people,” he said.

Tessa Gore, a freshman majoring in Fashion and Textile Management thinks the FDA should put their focus elsewhere.

“The FDA should focus on banning things that cause obesity in attempt to make America healthier, opposed to banning flavored cigarettes. I have been all over Europe and many people smoke, yet those countries are healthier than ours. The flavor of a cigarette really has nothing to do with how many cigarettes are smoked,” she said.

Gore believes the FDA will not solve the problems of smoking, but they will continue eliminate options until most products are obliterated.

“Every country has a habit that is not necessarily beneficial, who is to say we can not have this one bad habit?” she said.