UNITED STATES
US House votes for FDA regulation of tobacco

A measure giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) power to regulate the manufacturing and marketing of cigarettes cleared the US House of Representatives on Thursday.

The legislation, passed by a 298-112 vote, must win the Senate’s approval before going to President Barack Obama for his signature. The White House supports the effort. The so-called Waxman bill would give the FDA a range of authorities over the multibillion-dollar tobacco industry. The agency could restrict advertising of cigarettes and other tobacco products to children, require larger package warnings and force companies to lower – but not eliminate – nicotine content.
Supporters said the effort would reduce smoking, the biggest preventable cause of death in the United States. Opponents questioned the FDA’s ability to take on added responsibility after struggling in recent years to handle tainted foods and risky medicines. Under the bill, fees from tobacco companies would fund an FDA centre to oversee marketing, monitor ingredients and inspect manufacturing sites.
Critics also said having the FDA regulate tobacco products could give the false impression that cigarettes are safe.
"The FDA is strapped for resources and failing in many of its core missions," said Republican Rep. Mike Rogers.
Industry reaction has been mixed. The nation's largest cigarette maker, Altria Group’s Philip Morris unit, supports the bill and said in a statement that it would continue to back it through the legislative process.
Some smaller companies also back it, but some such as Reynolds American’s RJ Reynolds Tobacco unit say it would burden manufacturers by making them register with the FDA and keep various records. The bill "would create insurmountable barriers to the development of reduced-harm tobacco products or alternatives”, Lorillard Tobacco Company said.
Other makers include Vector Group’s Liggett Group and British American Tobacco.
The FDA moved to regulate cigarettes in 1996 but the Supreme Court ruled the agency overstepped its authority and needed Congress to grant new powers over tobacco.
A number of advocacy groups hailed the House action, including the American Medical Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
The White House issued a statement on Wednesday saying the Obama administration strongly supported the measure. The president has admitted his own struggles to quit smoking.
The House, in a separate 284-142 vote, defeated an alternative offered by Republican Rep. Steve Buyer to establish a new tobacco regulation centre outside the FDA but within the Department of Health and Human Services. (pi)

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