WHAT DOES FDA REGULATION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS REALLY MEAN?

FDA REGULATION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS MEANS: (1) PROTECTING KIDS, (2) PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH, (3) MORE INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS, AND (4) DECISIONS BASED ON SOUND SCIENCE.

Limiting Marketing and Sales of Tobacco Products to Children - Effective regulation of the tobacco industry would lower rates of tobacco use among children and adolescents by: (1) imposing limits on industry marketing and promotions, and (2) restricting sales to children by limiting self-service displays and requiring age verification.

Access to Tobacco Manufacturers Research - FDA authority over tobacco products would give the FDA and the public access to information the tobacco industry has on the health effects of their products, on nicotine and its addictiveness, on marketing to children, along with other information that would protect public health.

Learning What Is In Tobacco Products - Consumers would have access to information about all of the naturally occurring ingredients in tobacco products, the additives that manufacturers put in the products, and the constituents of tobacco smoke that result from burning the product.

Meaningful Warning Labels - The FDA would be able to require manufacturers to change the content and format of warning labels in order to make them more effective.

Protecting Public Health By Reducing Risks Where Technologically Feasible - The FDA would have the authority to require manufacturers to adopt technologies that are feasible and proven to reduce the harm of the product (e.g., reduce or eliminate harmful ingredients; adopt new filter technology).

Protecting Public Health By Overseeing Reduced Risk Health Claims For New Products - In evaluating reduced risk claims for new tobacco products, the FDA would calculate whether or not the introduction of such a new tobacco product would reduce harm and protect the public health.

Any Claims Must Be Evaluated For Scientific Accuracy And Their Impact on Public Health - The FDA would have the authority to require tobacco manufacturers to prove any claims they make about the health risks (or alleged benefits) posed by their products (for example, statements that suggest lower risks of cancer, heart disease, etc.), both in terms of their scientific accuracy and their impact on public health.

FDA's Authority Comparable To Other Consumer Products - The FDA's authority to regulate tobacco products would be comparable to its existing authority for drugs, devices, and foods.

FDA Would Only Be Able To Regulate Manufacturers, Not Farmers - FDA authority would be limited to tobacco manufacturers and their products, and would not include tobacco farmers.

Source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids