Senate Passes Senator Kennedy's Historic Bill to Regulate Tobacco Products

[ProSense]

Senate Passes Senator Kennedy's Historic Bill to Regulate Tobacco Products; Senator Kerry Votes to Protect America's Kids From Tobacco

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON, June 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids applauds U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy for his leadership and tenacity in winning Senate approval of his truly historic legislation that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products, including the authority to crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids. The Campaign also applauds Senator John Kerry's for co-sponsoring and voting for this legislation. The U.S. Senate today approved the bipartisan bill 79 to 17. The House has approved similar legislation, and Congress is expected to quickly send a final bill to President Obama, who is eager to sign it into law.

"We applaud Senator Kennedy for his leadership in championing this life-saving legislation and his tenacity in bringing it to the finish line after a decade of effort. This bill adds to his incomparable legacy of improving the health and health care of all Americans," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

"Senator Kerry has also been a leader in this historic effort to protect our children from tobacco addiction and save lives," added Myers. "This legislation represents the strongest action Congress has ever taken to reduce tobacco use, the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. If effectively implemented, this legislation will significantly reduce the number of children who start to use tobacco, the number of adults who continue to use tobacco and the number of people who suffer and die as a result."

FDA regulation of tobacco products is an essential step toward improving health and reducing health care costs in the United States. Tobacco use kills more than 400,000 Americans and costs the nation $96 billion in health care bills each year. Every day, more than 3,500 U.S. kids try their first cigarette. Yet tobacco products have been exempt from the FDA's common-sense regulations that apply to virtually every other product we consume, from food to drugs to cosmetics.

This legislation grants the FDA the authority and resources necessary to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. Among other things, it will:

• Restrict tobacco advertising and promotions, especially to children.
  
• Stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children.
  
• Require large, graphic health warnings that cover the top half of the front and back of cigarette packs.
  
• Ban misleading health claims such as "light" and "low-tar" and strictly regulate all health claims about tobacco products to ensure they are scientifically proven and do not discourage current tobacco users from quitting or encourage new users to start.
  
• Require tobacco companies to disclose the contents of tobacco products, as well as changes in products and research about their health effects.
  
• Empower the FDA to require changes in tobacco products, such as the removal or reduction of harmful ingredients or the reduction of nicotine levels.
  
• Fully fund the FDA's new tobacco-related responsibilities with a user fee on tobacco companies so no resources are taken from the FDA's current work.

For more information on the legislation and state-specific statistics on the toll of tobacco, please visit www.tobaccofreekids.org.

[invictus]

1. K&R. Good work, Ted!

nt

[Oregone]

2. "Stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children. "

By making it illegal? Hehe. Is there something Im missing here? Seems redundant

[Cha]

3. Boy, that tobacco industry

was Powerful for so long!

Thanks, Senators Kennedy and Kerry:patriot::patriot:

[Clio the Leo]

4. I didn't realize Sen. Kennedy sponsored this....

.... so thank you Teddy!

The only thing that bothers me just a bit in the President's response to this is....

"(the bill) will make history by giving the scientists and medical experts at the FDA the power to take sensible steps that will reduce tobacco’s harmful effects.."

Reduce tobacco's harmful effects? I realize there's an entire industry that make their livleyhoods from people smoking so perhaps that was for their benefit, but "reduce the harmful effects?" Are you kidding me? How about we just figure out a way to make people stop ..... PERIOD.

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0609/tobacco_takedown_4c3e3259-b419-47fd-bd8e-498cec734080.html

[Aristus]

5. Finally! Tobacco companies have to disclose all the nasty shit they put into their tobacco

to make it more addictive. That won't gain them very many new customers.

Here's a very partial list. Down to the C's...

The List (from http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/nicotineinhaler/a/cigingredients.htm )

Acetanisole
Acetic Acid
Acetoin
Acetophenone
6-Acetoxydihydrotheaspirane
2-Acetyl-3- Ethylpyrazine
2-Acetyl-5-Methylfuran
Acetylpyrazine
2-Acetylpyridine
3-Acetylpyridine
2-Acetylthiazole
Aconitic Acid
dl-Alanine
Alfalfa Extract
Allspice Extract,Oleoresin, and Oil
Allyl Hexanoate
Allyl Ionone
Almond Bitter Oil
Ambergris Tincture
Ammonia
Ammonium Bicarbonate
Ammonium Hydroxide
Ammonium Phosphate Dibasic
Ammonium Sulfide
Amyl Alcohol
Amyl Butyrate
Amyl Formate
Amyl Octanoate
alpha-Amylcinnamaldehyde
Amyris Oil
trans-Anethole
Angelica Root Extract, Oil and Seed Oil
Anise
Anise Star, Extract and Oils
Anisyl Acetate
Anisyl Alcohol
Anisyl Formate
Anisyl Phenylacetate
Apple Juice Concentrate, Extract, and Skins
Apricot Extract and Juice Concentrate
1-Arginine
Asafetida Fluid Extract And Oil
Ascorbic Acid
1-Asparagine Monohydrate
1-Aspartic Acid
Balsam Peru and Oil
Basil Oil
Bay Leaf, Oil and Sweet Oil
Beeswax White
Beet Juice Concentrate
Benzaldehyde
Benzaldehyde Glyceryl Acetal
Benzoic Acid, Benzoin
Benzoin Resin
Benzophenone
Benzyl Alcohol
Benzyl Benzoate
Benzyl Butyrate
Benzyl Cinnamate
Benzyl Propionate
Benzyl Salicylate
Bergamot Oil
Bisabolene
Black Currant Buds Absolute
Borneol
Bornyl Acetate
Buchu Leaf Oil
1,3-Butanediol
2,3-Butanedione
1-Butanol
2-Butanone
4(2-Butenylidene)-3,5,5-Trimethyl-2-Cyclohexen-1-One
Butter, Butter Esters, and Butter Oil
Butyl Acetate
Butyl Butyrate
Butyl Butyryl Lactate
Butyl Isovalerate
Butyl Phenylacetate
Butyl Undecylenate
3-Butylidenephthalide
Butyric Acid]
Cadinene
Caffeine
Calcium Carbonate
Camphene
Cananga Oil
Capsicum Oleoresin
Caramel Color
Caraway Oil
Carbon Dioxide
Cardamom Oleoresin, Extract, Seed Oil, and Powder
Carob Bean and Extract
beta-Carotene
Carrot Oil
Carvacrol
4-Carvomenthenol
1-Carvone
beta-Caryophyllene
beta-Caryophyllene Oxide
Cascarilla Oil and Bark Extract
Cassia Bark Oil
Cassie Absolute and Oil
Castoreum Extract, Tincture and Absolute
Cedar Leaf Oil
Cedarwood Oil Terpenes and Virginiana
Cedrol
Celery Seed Extract, Solid, Oil, And Oleoresin
Cellulose Fiber
Chamomile Flower Oil And Extract
Chicory Extract
Chocolate
Cinnamaldehyde
Cinnamic Acid
Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Bark Oil, and Extract
Cinnamyl Acetate
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Cinnamyl Cinnamate
Cinnamyl Isovalerate
Cinnamyl Propionate
Citral
Citric Acid
Citronella Oil
dl-Citronellol
Citronellyl Butyrate
itronellyl Isobutyrate
Civet Absolute
Clary Oil
Clover Tops, Red Solid Extract
Cocoa
Cocoa Shells, Extract, Distillate And Powder
Coconut Oil
Coffee
Cognac White and Green Oil
Copaiba Oil
Coriander Extract and Oil
Corn Oil
Corn Silk
Costus Root Oil
Cubeb Oil
Cuminaldehyde
para-Cymene
1-Cysteine

[NYC_SKP]

6. Tobacco additives must now be disclosed. This is a good thing.

Just as we'd rather know what's being added to our food, smokers deserve to know what additives are in tobacco products.

Just as meat and dairy consumers deserve to know what's been used to produce these "unhealthy" products.

Long overdue, this legislation.

[boppers]

7. ... and "American Spirit" organic label rejoices. eom