NYT/AP: Lawmakers Push for Tobacco Regulation

[DeepModem Mom]

Lawmakers Push for Tobacco Regulation
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 15, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seven years after being rebuffed by the Supreme Court, anti-smoking advocates rejoiced Thursday as lawmakers renewed a push for federal regulation of tobacco, a step they say is needed to deter children from lighting up and to get smokers to quit.

''Congress has the opportunity to take a monumental step and grant the Food and Drug Administration the meaningful and long-overdue authority to regulate tobacco, which kills 440,000 people and costs our nation $96.7 billion in health care bills every year,'' said John Seffrin, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduced legislation Thursday that would give the FDA the same authority over cigarettes and other tobacco products that it already has over countless other consumer products.

''Congress cannot in good conscience allow the federal agency most responsible for protecting the public health to remain powerless to deal with the enormous risks of tobacco, the most deadly of all consumer products,'' Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said in introducing the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Tom Davis, R-Va....

***

Previous legislative efforts to give the FDA that authority have faltered. The new bill is fundamentally the same legislation as introduced in the last Congress. Supporters believe it will fare better in the Democratic-controlled House and Senate.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said it had the support of the caucus. A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she personally supported it. Messages left for a White House spokesman weren't immediately returned....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-FDA-Tobacco.html

[Trillo]

1. instead of "smoke a joint, go to jail"

it'll also be "smoke a cigarette, go to jail"

Just a matter of time. Lot's of money in jailing them nasty tobacco users.

This article even says it'll likely pass.

[alfredo]

2. There is a push for self extinguishing cigarettes.

Tobacco isn't as strong as it used to be, but they may be strong enough to stop any move for a less lethal cigarette.


Cigarettes are the primary cause of fatal fires.

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. Actually, the tobacco industry has increased the amount of nicotine in cigarettes

over the last six years since settling the death by smoking suits against them.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14576260/

[alfredo]

4. They also manipulate the alkaline in snuff to make it

more addictive. The more alkaline the tobacco, the more nicotine absorbed by the addict.

[youngdem]

5. What a waste of political capital

Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Dems are not much different here. Fucking with the details of the china and place mats on a sinking ship.

This is so damn stupid. PROHIBITION DOESN'T WORK. GOT IT? DOESN'T WORK. See alcohol, drugs, all recorded history.

Goddamn. Dems really are blind to what they were sent to DC to do.

ONE THING. End the war.

But no, they can't help themselves.

What's next?

[OKthatsIT]

6. With fewer smokers, states see less tax revenue

With fewer smokers, states see less tax revenue -
Treasuries under pressure as tobacco taxes dry up
MSNBC
Feb 15, 2007

(AP)BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Roland Henkel quit smoking in September and has been doing the math ever since: A week added to his life. More than 2,100 Marlboro Lights he hasn’t smoked. And more than $400 he didn’t spend on cigarettes.

“It does add up,” said Henkel, 53. “You don’t think about it when you’re smoking so much.”

The state of Minnesota has been doing the math, too, and isn’t quite as delighted.

more...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17170991/