Today marks the beginning of a new flavored cigarette ban barring all cloves, fruit and candy from the shelves of our favorite vices.

Self destructive personal freedoms are again snuffed out by the call to “save the children” and force what’s seen as healthier lifestyle choices by bureaucrats.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama in June and gave the Food and Drug Administration broad powers in regulating the tobacco industry, although it does not give it the power to abolish it altogether.

With such new scope, the agency acted immediately to relinquish the cancerous trappings of taste engineered by cigarette companies so obviously aimed to prey upon the young. For what adult would enjoy anything less than the sweet delight of smoldering ash and nicotine?

Being more of a drinker than a smoker myself, I started to wonder if maybe the alcohol industry hasn’t been doing the same with their Apple Puckers, Smirnoff Twists and Long Island Iced Teas. Maybe a good next step for the FDA would be to ban all flavored alcoholic beverages – just think of how that might help cut back teen consumption and save lives. (I mock, but I have no doubt there is already a national movement).