FDA tobacco regulation bill
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Senate HELP Committee in a July 18 executive session marks up the heavily supported bipartisan "Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act," S. 625, aimed to reduce youth smoking via FDA regulatory authority over tobacco products. Committee Chairman and bill co-sponsor Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., says the bill would provide FDA power to block under-18 cigarette purchases and misleading manufacturer information on dangers of smoking. Under the bill's provisions, tobacco products would be subject to FDA review prior to marketing and the agency would have the authority to withhold health-related claims approval for products unverified by the agency. "These safeguards are essential to prevent deceptive industry marketing campaigns, which could lull the public into a false sense of health safety," Kennedy notes...