Kenneth Elder's Blog

The View From Philly

Sestak endorses smoking legislation awaiting Obama’s signature

Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7), who likely will run for Senator Arlen Specter’s seat next fall, helped pass a bill last week that would discourage smoking and limit access to tobacco products.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (HR 1256) would authorize the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the sale and distribution of tobacco products. The House voted 307-97 for the bill, which now awaits President Barack Obama’s signature.

The legislation would give the FDA greater authority to regulate access to, and the advertising and promotion of, tobacco products. It also would allow the FDA to adopt rulings it believes are “appropriate to protect the public health.”

One of the main goals of the bill is to prevent underage smoking. “As a father, it is of upmost (sic) importance to me that we discourage teenage smoking,” Sestak said in a statement on his Web site. “By limiting marketing to children and removing tobacco products specifically marketed to kids we can prevent some of the 3,500 children who try cigarettes for the first time every day from falling into an addictive and dangerous habit.”

According to data cited by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Pennsylvania minors smoke 32.9 million packs of cigarettes each year.

Under the new bill, tobacco manufacturers would be forced to disclose the contents of cigarettes and list harmful ingredients in their current products. Tobacco manufacturers would no longer be able to sell products that suggest a modified or reduced risk, such as “light” cigarettes, unless evidence suggests that these cigarettes significantly reduce the risk of tobacco-related disease. The marketing of flavored cigarettes, exempting menthol-flavored cigarettes, also would be prohibited.

There are approximately 2,200,000 cigarette smokers in Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Thirty percent of Pennsylvanians aged 18 to 29 smoke cigarettes, while 10 percent in that age group identified as former smokers.

Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris USA, reported spending at least 13.8 million last year to lobby the federal government, according to a statement by Kathy Mulvey, of Corporate Accountability International, in response to the passage of the House bill.

In her statement, Mulvey said, “Altria says it backs the current legislation; however, this support should be seen as a red flag, not a positive sign.”