WAR ON TOBACCO

I smoke. Not proud of it, but I do. So I thought I would have a look at the new bill that gives the FDA authority over the Tobacco Industry.

All I really have is the summery. These bills are usually 600 plus pages long (no wonder they don't read them), but it looks like short of an outright ban, the FDA can do about anything it likes.

And there is one little phrase in there, reduce nicotine levels to zero, that caught my eye.

Congressional Legislation

'A bill to protect the public health by providing the Food and Drug Administration with certain authority to regulate tobacco products. '
Bill # S.982

Original Sponsor:
Edward Kennedy (D-MA)

Cosponsor Total: 58
(last sponsor added 06/03/2009)
51 Democrats
2 Independents
5 Republicans

About This Legislation:

5/5/2009--Introduced.
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements.
Directs the Secretary to establish the Center for Tobacco Products to implement this Act.
Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded.
Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements.
Authorizes the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if appropriate for the protection of the public health. Sets forth limits on such regulations, including prohibiting establishment of a minimum age greater than 18 for product purchases.
Prohibits: (1) cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee; or (2) a tobacco product manufacturer from using tobacco that contains a greater level of pesticide chemical residue than is specified by any tolerance applicable to domestically grown tobacco.
Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health. Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) banning all cigarettes, all smokeless tobacco products, all little cigars, all other cigars, all pipe tobacco, or all roll-your-own tobacco products; or (2) requiring the reduction of the nicotine yields of a tobacco product to zero.
Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products.
Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products.
Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee.
Revises tobacco product warning labels and advertising requirements.

So I will hazard a guess here that about one years of FDA control, there will either be no more US tobacco companies, or they will be run by the government entirely.