Regulation of tobacco by FDA is long overdue
Last week, historic legislation allowing the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products was signed into law by President Obama. The law will protect children from the tobacco industry’s predatory marketing, save countless lives and reduce the enormous burden that tobacco use imposes on our nation.
Forty-five years after the surgeon general first linked cigarette smoking to lung cancer, this long-overdue law is the strongest action the federal government has ever taken to reduce tobacco use, the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing 400,000 Americans each year. Aside from those it kills, tobacco use sickens millions and costs the nation $96 billion annually in health care bills. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers—one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.
Clearly FDA regulation of tobacco is the right thing to do. I applaud the entire New York congressional delegation and especially Sen. Charles Schumer for their leadership and strong support of this legislation. It’s a great day for America’s kids and our collective health.
Peter A. McMahon
Legislative Ambassador, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Grand Island
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