Despite bipartisan support in Congress for giving FDA authority to regulate marketing and manufacturing tobacco products to curb youth smoking, agency Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach says government regulation could actually prompt smokers to accelerate their habits. In a March 8 interview with the Associated Press, von Eschenbach said reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes in an attempt to make cigarettes less likely to cause health problems could cause smokers to change their usage in order to continue inhaling their current levels of the addictive drug. Although Congress gave FDA authority over tobacco products in 1996, the Supreme Court in 2000 ruled that because the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act allows FDA to regulate products deemed unsafe for obtaining therapeutic benefit, tobacco falls outside of FDCA's regulatory scheme if it cannot be used safely for any therapeutic purpose. However, since then multiple bills have been introduced in Congress to give FDA the authority, most recently in the current session by Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and John Cornyn, R-Texas (S. 625) and by Rep. Harry Waxman, D-Calif., (H.R. 1108) (1"The Tan Sheet," Feb, 26, 2007, In Brief)...

Sens. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) reintroduce legislation to give FDA authority to regulate tobacco products March 17. The Family Smoking Prevention and Public Health Protection Act would place the sale and marketing of tobacco products under FDA's purview and require manufacturers to list all ingredients and use more explicit warning labels, among other provisions. A similar bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent last October but did not make it to the President's desk (1"The Tan Sheet" Oct. 18, 2004, In Brief)...

The European Chemicals Agency's microplastic restriction proposal received committee backing in 2020 without changes sought by the cosmetics industry, which faces €15bn in projected costs and scarce alternatives at present. It may come down to EU Member States to decide whether the ECHA restriction proposal is proportionate in balancing environmental goals and socio-economic impacts.