Rep. Slaughter Lauds Passage of Historic Bill Allowing FDA to Regulate Tobacco Marketing to Kids

Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Rules, today applauded House passage of H.R. 1256, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate the marketing of tobacco products to children.

Rep. Slaughter said, "Rep. Slaughter said, "It's no secret that tobacco is a deadly and addictive substance that's being peddled to our children with misleading advertising. This landmark bill gives the FDA the ability to regulate marketing to both child and adult tobacco consumers - a critical effort in the fight against tobacco that's long overdue."

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act would provide the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It would also empower the FDA to prevent the marketing and sale of tobacco products to minors, to prevent false or misleading product claims, and to require changes to product content or design to protect public health. The FDA's tobacco program would be funded through user fees on tobacco product manufacturers.

BACKGROUND

The Family Smoking Prevent and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1256) does the following:

• Gives the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products, thereby preventing the tobacco industry from designing products that appeal to children

• Prohibits adulterated and misbranded tobacco products, giving tobacco consumers accurate health information about what they are consuming

• Imposes new labeling and advertising requirements for tobacco products, ensuring that consumers have complete and accurate information about them

• Gives the Health and Human Services Secretary authority to regulate tobacco product standards and product testing based on scientific evidence

• Requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to consider placing tobacco-replacement products on a fast-track FDA approval process

• Bans the sale of certain flavored tobacco products to protect the health of children lured to smoking by those flavors

• Ensures small businesses have FDA assistance in complying with regulations by creating a special category of small tobacco product manufacturers

• The legislation has received wide support from more than 1000 public health and faith organizations including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and a group of prominent, bipartisan former public health officials, as well as many other national, state, and local organizations.

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