This is the part of the article that really irritates me (emphasis added is mine):
With the Kennedy bill, the Food and Drug Administration could silence
advertisements aimed at children and block the sale of candy made to
look like cigarettes. The agency could reduce the amount of nicotine in
cigarettes, but only Congress could ban cigarettes entirely.
Now come on! The Federal Government wants to outlaw candy cigarettes believing candy, yes candy, will lead a child to smoke a cigarette when they grow up. Give me a break.
Growing up, my grandfather would purchase these small pieces of deliciousness from the 7-11 just below our house. Yes, my little brother and I would act like we were smoking when eating them, but to suggest that because we had candy cigarettes led to either of us smoking is absurd. If anything led to both us smoking at points – my brother more than myself – in our lives it was because we come from a family of smokers, not because of a candy cigarette.
This is another attempt by government to regulate what they believe is best for you instead of allowing families the freedoms to determine what is best for their own children. For the record, if I had a child today I would have no problems with them having a candy cigarette.
