WASHINGTON, Mar 4, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Legislation before a U.S. House of
Representatives panel would place tobacco regulation under the control of the
Food and Drug Administration, observers said.
The bill being considered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee would also
regulate how cigarette manufacturers can market their products, require them to
disclose ingredients, include larger warning labels on packages and bestow
authority to the FDA to require that cigarettes be free of harmful chemicals,
The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
Anti-tobacco lobbyists and health groups told the newspaper the legislation is
their best chance since the 1970s to convince Congress to regulate tobacco,
which they claim is linked to 1,200 U.S. deaths each day.
Some, however, say the bill doesn't go far enough and contains compromises
resulting largely from years of negotiation between cigarette maker Philip
Morris and the advocacy group Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
"This is a big gift to Philip Morris and a big scam," Joel Nitzkin, chairman of
the tobacco-control task force of the American Association of Public Health
Physicians, told the Post. "Our initial impression was, 'Gee, this would be
great.' But when we read through the entire 160 pages, we were horrified by what
we saw."
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