It's no secret that cigarettes are both addictive and deadly
Oct 8, 2007, 11:41
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WHY SHOULD the Food and Drug Administration be granted the power to regulate tobacco? It's no secret that cigarettes are both addictive and deadly. No other product on the market, when used as directed, causes the illness and death of such a high percentage of users as tobacco products. We've known that for years. What is less known is the extent and type of chemical doctoring that cigarette makers get up to in order to keep smokers hooked. That's where the FDA's product safety efforts can help. In its final opinion in the case of U.S. v. Philip Morris USA, 2006, the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., found that, "For decades, defendants have recognized that controlling nicotine delivery, in order to create and sustain smokers' addiction, was necessary to ensure commercial success." "Defendants researched, developed and utilized various designs and methods of nicotine control to ensure that all cigarettes delivered doses of nicotine adequate to create and sustain addiction." Tobacco companies have boosted the addictive nature of cigarettes by increasing nicotine yields in cigarettes by 10 percent since 1998. This was accomplished in part by the use of chemical additives in the cigarettes. Cigarette makers did not have to get permission to use the extra chemical constituents in cigarettes, because those chemicals had already been approved by the FDA for use in food items. What was missing in the FDA's approval, however, was any study on the effects of lighting those chemicals on fire and inhaling them into one's lungs. A new bill in Congress would give the FDA more authority to look into the additives in cigarettes and study the effects of those additives when smoked. H.R. 1108 would not have tobacco regulated as a drug on the standards of safety and effectiveness. Instead, the FDA would conduct unbiased testing on additive safety, review lower-risk claims, and would guard against marketing targeted at minors. This measure merits support. Increased safeguards are necessary in light of the much higher marketing expenditures of tobacco companies, even after a marketing settlement curtailed tobacco sponsorship of sporting events and advertising geared toward minors (such as Joe Camel). According to the Federal Trade Commission, cigarette makers ratcheted up their marketing efforts from $6.73 billion in 1998, when the settlement was reached, to $13.11 billion in 2005. The bill would also end the practice of using candy flavoring in cigarettes, such as strawberry, grape, orange and cinnamon. Such sweet-flavored cigarettes are deemed an entry point for children into smoking. Adults have the right to choose to smoke. They also have the right to know what they're smoking. Congress should allow the FDA to regulate cigarette makers for the sake of an informed populace.
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