Washington's Food Fight: The Debate Over GMO Labels

 

Wataru Kaizuka

 

“Huh? What’s GMO? Does it have something to do with food and our health?” Most people would probably say so. Of course, food labeling takes a big part in our life. It tells us what the product is made of, and even where the original ingredients were made. Knowing these information gives us relief, and we can distinguish whether the product really fits our body. It is convincing that food labeling is required by law.

But now, the question is,

“Should GM(Genetically Modified) food be labeled, too?”

 

GM food is food that is produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using genetic engineering. Putting it simply, scientific methods are used to make these, so it has a greater risk of causing damage to human health, compared to conventional food. In the document, there are many people who don’t even know GMOs, which means most people just care about eating good food with low risk, and it is natural. Although GM food doesn’t seem to harm people, since it doesn’t make so much difference from normal food, but it surely has a lot more possibility to cause people harm. And now, in Washington, many farmers who take part in making GM crops think that GMOs should be labeled. They’re saying that especially because most of the people don’t even know about GMOs, the government should let people know about GMOs and distinguish them from normal food. An author, George Kimbrell says that he even wrote a letter to the Washington general, warning about the problem. There has been debates talking about this matter (whether to label GMOs or not) but the government doesn’t take the problem so seriously. There were many experiments with GMOs and scientists who were researching about those and farmers who were growing these agreed that GMOs are different with normal food.

When people spend their lives, the custom of eating healthy food and taking the right nutrition is essential. GM foods are existence that has high percentage of causing harm to human bodies. It may be difficult for people who don’t know about the situation, because you can’t tell if it’s a GM food or a normal food just by looking. But what if, in a rare possibility, a person took a GM food without understanding anything? He or she might become sick, or may even cause death. It is no use if life is taken away. In order for people to spend a healthy life, GM foods should be labeled as soon as possible.

 

 

"Washington's Food Fight: The Debate Over GMO Labels ." . N.p., 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 1 Jan. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9KoqUeqbx4>.

Documentary Reviews of Cigarette warning label impacts and innovations around the world

Cigarette warning label impacts and innovations around the world

 

 

The documentary introduced the differences of the tobacco warning labels between countries, and how it would affect a person who reads it. The most effective way of warning was to use a pictorial warning. There are various pictures used in warning tobaccos. For instance a picture introduced in the video (right)

Gives a offending impression towards tobacco, which is said to

Prevent new smokers from smoking.

  There were many differences of the warning labels between

countries. First was the size of the labels. The country which has the largest warning label was Uruguay which covers about 80% of the product. The smallest wasn’t mentioned supposedly because there are countries which has no warning label in tobaccos. Second was the difference of how they warn. The tobacco in Brazil used only the back of the box but the tobacco in
Mexico used the whole box to warn the health problem when a person smokes tobacco.

Finally the difference of the effect was introduced. The warning label used in Brazil wasn’t effective since the smoking rate rised. On the other hand, the label in America had effect since it deducted the rate of the smoking population.

  The results and graphs of the effect of the warning labels between countries in the documentary seemed less reliable. They should have done the investigation of the warning labels should have been done in the same country. If it was done in a different country, the effects will differ since the literacy rate and other things will differ.

  The most effective way introduced in the documentary seemed effective but personally, as a smoker, felt offended. The pictures in the label looked grotesque. It seemed to be telling that every smoker would become like the picture. I think if the picture was used in Japan, there would be a trial between the tobacco company and the smoking people, or the non smoking people also because the picture is creepy. The method of using offensive picture may only work in America.

  Overall I thought that the warning label used right now in Japan is in the best shape. It doesn’t offend the Japanese people too much but in the same time warns about the health risks of smoking. The tobacco warning used in other countries is also useful.

The companies should think about the the characteristics of the people in the country which they sell.

links to the documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG_McwWkvZ4

 

1. What kind of alcohol do people take the most?

According to the WHO, 52% of Japanese drinks distilled alcohol, which is the most.
50% of the American drinks beer.

The rate differs between countries.

If you want to know further, please see the  World Health Organization report published in 2014.
http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/global_alcohol_report/msb_gsr_2014_3.pdf

or the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_alcohol_consumption

2. Why do people smoke, even if they want to stop?
The are 10 reasons why people smoke


1.Peer pressure   Influence by the friends is one of the biggest reasons of smoking.

2.Social rewards   Smoking in groups give smokers feel acceptance, which makes them feel relieved.

3.Risk-taking behavior   The warnings like ''no smoking'' and ''not for minors'' makes teenagers that are not accepted in the society feel thrills. The feeling that they are breaking many laws makes them feel thrill.

4.Parential influence   Children who has a smoking parent tends to start smoking. They don't realize the risks of smoking.

5.Misinformation  Many myths are in the society, like light tobaccos are less harmful than heavy ones. Which is not true.
 
6.Genetic predisposition   There is a smoking gene that makes non smoking person want to feel like smoking.

7.Advertising   In the 1990s there were catchy advertisements that encourage people to start smoking. Advertisemets has a big influence. It can stop people from smoking if it discourages people to.

8.Self Medication   People suffering from some forms of mental illness, such as depression or anxiety disorders, may take up smoking because it can help mitigate some of their symptoms.

9.Media influences   The media has a large influence. If an actor in the movie smokes in one scene, the viewer may get an cool image towards tobacco.

10.Stress relief   Smoking tobacco refrains stresses, so many people gets addicted to it.

These are the 10 reasons of why people start smoking and it is also why people can't stop smoking.

Quoted from How stuff works .com
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/smoking-cessation/10-reasons-people-start-smoking.htm#page=10

Crazy Warning Labels

Here are some warning labels that we think are not necessary.

Can't we judge if it is dangerous or not by ourselves?

Yes we can!

These warning labels have purposes to prevent ligitation.

16. When did warning labels start?

17. Are there countries that warning labels are not recommended?

18. How effective are warning labels?

19. Does G.M foods need a warning label?

20. What else needs a warning label?

21. Why does cigarrettes have warning labels?

22.  Is it nessesary?

23. Why is the size of the label differebt between countries/states?

24. Should it be the same worldwide?

25. Isn't warning labels offensive to smoking population?

26. How should companies and government warn aside from warning labels?

27. Is the warning label used now the best way to warn people?

28. Would the effect of the warning label in Africa have the same effect in other countries?

29. How should we warn people in the low literacy rated countries?

30. Do we need warning labels?

Questions about warning labels

1. What kind of alcohol do people take the most?

2. Why do people smoke, even if they want to stop?

3. When do people want to smoke? Do they care about labels?

4. Where do people smoke?

5. What kind of warning labels are sold the most?

6. What is the purpose of the countries which make alcohol?

7. Which country has the main outport of alcohol?

8. What is the cause of the population growth of smoking?

9. When were warning labels first put?

10. Which country imports alcohol the most?

11. In which way has warning labels changed?

12. Had warning labels become a bigger problem compared to other social problems?

13. Will peoples' atitudes change if warning labels become more strict?

14. What should be done to warning labels to keep people safe?

15. What can we do individually to keep ourselves safe from products which have warning labels?

Welcome to our blog

Hello my name is Shion
          my name is Wataranai

We are college students in Tokyo.
We learn English and American Literature.

We will be posting blogs about the difference of  warning labels between countries.

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