House Panel Backs Tobacco Regulation

By NEIL H SIMON

A House committee voted yesterday to give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco.

Proposals to give the FDA control of nicotine levels, cigarette marketing and health warning labels have lingered in Congress for a decade.

Yesterday’s 38-12 approval by the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked the furthest advance for the legislation yet, setting the stage for a floor vote this year.

With 11 Republicans joining the majority, the bill’s supporters said they were optimistic the legislation would pass.

To win Republican support, Democrats delayed stiffer penalties for retailers who sell to minors and exempted small tobacco product manufacturers – those with fewer than 350 employees – for at least four years.

Senate Democratic leaders have called the measure a priority, but sponsors do not yet have the 60 votes needed to block a filibuster.

The legislation has divided the large cigarette makers.

Reynolds American says it would give a competitive advantage to rival Philip Morris USA and place too many restrictions on marketing of smokeless tobacco products.

Philip Morris has supported regulation consistently.

— Contact Neil Simon at nsimon@mediageneral.com or (202) 662- 7669.

Originally published by Media General News Service.

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