National

Senate panel backs giving FDA regulatory powers
The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved legislation that would grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory powers over tobacco products by a vote of 13-8. The bill, which is supported by numerous public health groups and by Philip Morris USA, would allow the FDA to set standards for “reduced risk” cigarettes, curb tobacco advertising, require powerful warning labels, outlaw cigarette ingredients known to be particularly dangerous to health, and prevent tobacco sales to minors, among other regulatory powers. The bill will now move to the full Senate for consideration. To read more about the decision click here, or click here to read the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ response written by Executive Director William V. Corr.

Advisory panel calls for tobacco regulation, higher taxes
The President’s Cancer Panel has released its annual report, and chief among its recommendations are granting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory power over tobacco products and increasing the federal tobacco tax. These recommendations echo legislation that was recently passed in the Senate HELP committee regarding FDA regulatory authority and separate bills in the House of Representatives and Senate that would increase the federal excise tax on tobacco products. The report has earned praise by congressional Democrats, including the Senate HELP chairman Edward Kennedy. To read more about the report, click here or click here to read the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ response, written by President Matthew L. Myers.

Tommy Robertson ousted from Senate seat
The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund launched a television ad and campaign to contact voters to discourage the reelection of Senator Tommy Robertson in the primary race for the Mississippi State Senate. In his role as the Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Robertson blocked a vote on legislation that would have substantially reduced the grocery tax while increasing the state’s cigarette tax. Mississippi has the highest grocery tax in the nation, at seven percent, and the third-lowest cigarette tax, which is 18 cents per pack. The cigarette tax has not been increased since 1985 and falls well below the average state cigarette tax. Click here to read more or here to view an article detailing Senator Robertson’s defeat by Michael Watson.

North Carolina Requires “Fire-Safe” Cigarettes by 2010
North Carolina has joined 20 other states in requiring that "fire-safe" cigarettes be sold in the state. Gov. Mike Easley today signed into law House Bill 1785: "An act to require cigarette fire safety by adopting a cigarette fire-safety standard." The new law requires that cigarettes sold in North Carolina be self-extinguishing in an effort to reduce the number of smoking-related fires and home-fire deaths. Click here to read more. 

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International

Ottawa to ban cigarette makers from labeling products ‘light’ and ‘mild’
Ottawa Health Minister Tony Clement announced legislation that would ban tobacco companies from using the words “light” and “mild” on their products. The ban would apply to the packaging of all cigarettes and other tobacco products sold in Canada, including imported products.  In his announcement, Clement cited research that indicates that the use of “light” and “mild” on packages makes it less likely for smokers to quit, in part because they believe that these products are less harmful. A 75-day comment period has been put into place for the public to discuss the legislation. Click here to read more.

Brunei bans cigarette advertisements, smoking in selected public places
The Brunei Health Ministry has begun to implement the Tobacco Order, a law that bans cigarette advertisements and smoking in various public places. In particular, the legislation outlaws advertisements for smoking and prohibits tobacco companies from selling their products to people under the age of eighteen. It also bans smoking in government buildings, schools and sections of business outlets. Violators will be subject to fines of up to 1,000 Brunei dollars, which is about $670. The Tobacco Order will be implemented gradually over the next six months. Click here to read more.

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Resources

Analysis of proposed regulation of tobacco products by FDA
On February 15, 2007 U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) and U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Tom Davis (R-VA) introduced identical bipartisan bills to grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate the tobacco industry. The intent of this legislation, known as the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (S. 625/H.R. 1108) is to give the FDA the necessary tools and resources to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, labeling, distribution and sale of tobacco products. Many national public health organizations support this legislation enthusiastically. Others have raised fundamental objections to the bill, with some critics suggesting the bill may actually be harmful to public health. To help members of the tobacco control community formulate their own views, the Tobacco Control Network commissioned the Tobacco Control Legal Consortium to prepare publications containing a balanced explanation and summary of this complex 156-page bill. Our first publication is a series of eight Fact Sheets, which summarize by topic key elements of the pending legislation. To access the Fact Sheets, click here.

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