This is the Facebook affiliate of the LJ Community:
http://community.livejournal.com/legalize_kretek

The recent FDA ban constitutes an unprecedented overreach of federal control over consumption, not based on health, not based on manufacturing defect, but based on irrelevant criteria. We are interested in a grassroots movement to affect repeal of the ban resulting from the text of H.R. 1256 that reads:

"Beginning 3 months after the date of enactment of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, a cigarette or any of its component parts (including the tobacco, filter, or paper) shall not contain, as a constituent (including a smoke constituent) or additive, an artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, grape, orange, clove, cinnamon, pineapple, vanilla, coconut, licorice, cocoa, chocolate, cherry, or coffee, that is a characterizing flavor of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke." [1]



The facts:

This was not for your health-- Kreteks distributed in the U.S. are NOT more harmful than regular or mentholated cigarettes. "Djarum Black cigarettes sold in Europe, Canada and South American countries have 10–12 mg tar and 1 mg nicotine, as indicated on the pack. This level of tar and nicotine is comparable to the majority of other regular or 'full-flavor' cigarettes available. The venous plasma nicotine and carbon monoxide levels from 10 smokers were tested after smoking kreteks and were found to be similar to non-clove brands of cigarettes, such as Marlboro." [2]

This was not for the children-- "During 2000--2002, current use of any tobacco product among high school students decreased from 34.5% to 28.4%; [...] kretek use from 4.2% to 2.7%. " [3] In fact, many underage smokers prefer menthols! [4]


References:

1. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-1256&version=enr&nid=t0%3Aenr%3A335

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kretek#Health_effects

3. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5245a2.htm

4. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/business/17menthol.html?_r=1

Related Groups:

Related Facebook Groups:

Keep Kretek Legal -- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=97623887261
Let Them have Kretek -- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114972353953
SAVE KRETEK (CLOVE) CIGARETTES!! -- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106531172484

I encourage you to join those too, since we are not competing with them; we are with them! (read less)

This is the Facebook affiliate of the LJ Community:
http://community.livejournal.com/legalize_kretek

The recent FDA ban constitutes an unprecedented overreach of federal control over consumption, not based on health, not based on manufacturing defect, but based on irrelevant criteria. We are interested in a grassroots movement to affect repeal of the ban resulting from the text of H.R. 1256 that reads:

"Beginning 3 months after the date of enactment of the Family Smoking Prevention and... (read more)