I was so pleased in early May when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made its long-awaited announcement that it will assert authority over all tobacco products such as cigars, hookah and smokeless tobacco products and electronic cigarettes. These tobacco products pose serious health risks and our kids are using them at an alarming and increasing rate. FDA oversight of these addictive products is long overdue.
So I was appalled when I heard the tobacco industry has already convinced some members of Congress to add provisions to a bill to fund the FDA that would weaken FDA’s oversight authority over many tobacco products. This would allow candy-flavored tobacco products like cigars and e-cigarettes to remain on store shelves without a public health review by the FDA and they would exclude certain cigars from any regulation whatsoever.
Weakening FDA’s oversight over these products would be the wrong move for our country, both financially and for public health. Youth consumption of these tobacco products is on the rise and tobacco use costs our nation $170 billion — $6.38 billion here in Pennsylvania alone.
That’s why I’m urging Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania to refuse to support the tobacco industry’s unscrupulous tactics when the Senate’s agriculture appropriations bill to fund the FDA is up for debate, and to vote against amendments undercutting FDA’s authority. The health of our nation is counting on you.
So I was appalled when I heard the tobacco industry has already convinced some members of Congress to add provisions to a bill to fund the FDA that would weaken FDA’s oversight authority over many tobacco products. This would allow candy-flavored tobacco products like cigars and e-cigarettes to remain on store shelves without a public health review by the FDA and they would exclude certain cigars from any regulation whatsoever.
Weakening FDA’s oversight over these products would be the wrong move for our country, both financially and for public health. Youth consumption of these tobacco products is on the rise and tobacco use costs our nation $170 billion — $6.38 billion here in Pennsylvania alone.
That’s why I’m urging Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania to refuse to support the tobacco industry’s unscrupulous tactics when the Senate’s agriculture appropriations bill to fund the FDA is up for debate, and to vote against amendments undercutting FDA’s authority. The health of our nation is counting on you.
Resource: http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2016/06/06/Keep-the-pressure-on-the-tobacco-industry-and-its/stories/201606060074
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