FDA Tobacco Regulation Approved by Senate
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Jessica SmagaczMay 22, 2009 11:00 AMIn March, I posted a blog about FDA and the possibility that they may be given the power to oversee the tobacco industry.
NewsInferno just reported that the Senate Panel approved this. After the House voted to grand FDA tobacco product oversight in April, the bill moved to the Senate. The Senate panel backed the legislation yesterday, so the bill will move on to the full Senate and then if it receives approval, eventually it will make it to President Obama for approval (that is after the House and Senate have disagreements and have to work out the issues to come to an agreement and final bill).
On one side there are the Senators from tobacco-producing states that have made a promise to fight the bill. President Obama supports this bill.
This Bill passed with a 298-112 vote in the House and the Senate panel, 15-8.
If the Bill passes, FDA will have the authority to set nicotine levels in tobacco products, make larger warning labels as a requirement, and try to stop any new flavored cigarettes.
According to NewsInferno, “the law was introduced in response to a Supreme Court decision from 2000 that said the FDA didn’t have the authority to regulate tobacco without an act of Congress.”