Recent Legislation Passed to Allow the FDA to Regulate Tobacco

Prior to this legislation, tobacco was one of the few products that was not subject to FDA approval. Some of the items that the FDA is responsible for include the majority of food products, prescription and over-the-counter drugs and even cosmetics such as lipstick. President Obama supports this legislation and is expected to sign it into law in the near future. Below is a list of the outcomes that can be expected from this legislation.

It will allow stricter rules about tobacco marketing and sales to kids
Larger and more effective health warnings on tobacco products will be required
Tobacco companies will be required to disclose the contents of their products, as well as product changes and further research about their health effects
Terms such as “light” and “low-tar” will be banned, since they mislead consumers to believe certain cigarettes are healthier than others
Health-related claims about tobacco products will be regulated to make certain they are scientifically proven and do not discourage current users from quitting or encourage new users to start
It will also allow the FDA to require possible changes in tobacco products, such as the removal/reduction of harmful ingredients.

Want To Read More? See The Links Below.

TobaccoFreeKids Report
LA Times Article
NY Times Article
WSJ Article

Tobacco

13% of 6th grade students in Benton County have tried cigarettes at least once
Over 177,000 kids are exposed to second hand smoke
23.5% of adults smoke in Arkansas
390 to 700 people die each year in Arkansas from someone else’s smoke
Being around secondhand smoke for two hours is like smoking four cigarettes
Kids who have parents who smoke are 3.3 times more likely to start smoking themselves.