Tobacco industry experts weigh in on the new law

"I understand what the intention of [the legislation] is, and no one is going to quarrel with the idea that smoking is not really good for you. But there are a lot of things that are not good for you that adults choose to do. If an adult chooses to smoke, they are going to find a way to smoke. It would be better for everyone, including the proponents of the legislation, if cigarettes were purchased through a legitimate business.

"Look at what happened during Prohibition. This, in my mind, is quite similar."

-- Shari Roan

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Patrick Reynolds

A grandson of cigarette company founder R.J. Reynolds, he watched his family members die from cigarette-induced emphysema and lung cancer and now publicly speaks out against the tobacco industry. His advocacy work includes motivational talks to youth, meetings with lawmakers and press appearances.

"The passage of this bill marks the diminished clout of the tobacco lobby on the Hill.

"My favorite part of the bill is the requirement for cigarette packs to carry graphic warning labels on 50% of both the front and back of packs. I believe this will be a strong deterrent to prevent children from starting. It will also give smokers a strong graphic visual incentive to quit before they take their next cigarette.

"Now all tobacco products are behind the counter -- they used to be next to the candy. If I had my way, all these products would be under the counter, out of sight and out of mind. Only presently-addicted smokers would think to ask for them by name.

"I'm not going to complain about the bill because 99% of it is absolutely fantastic," Reynolds says. But he worries that FDA regulation could take the electronic cigarette off the market. A device that delivers a vaporized propylene glycol and nicotine solution without tobacco or smoke, "the cigarette substitute was very handy to me personally in quitting smoking. It's something to suck on and pretend you're smoking.

"The question of whether glycol and water are more harmful than tobacco smoke with all its poisons is an unknown, but in my mind it could be a valuable aid in quitting."

-- Shara Yurkiewicz

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Jeffrey Wigand

He served as vice president for research and development for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. from 1988 until his termination in 1993, then became the tobacco industry's highest-ranking former executive to address public health and safety. Portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 1999 movie "The Insider," he has assisted governmental agencies investigating the industry and works to reduce youth tobacco use.