A bipartisan group of lawmakers plan to introduce legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco just as the agency does for other consumer products. Previous legislative efforts have failed, but supporters believe the bill will fare better in the Democrat-controlled House and Senate.
The bill would allow the FDA to act to discourage children from starting to smoke and encourage adults to quit. It would also allow the FDA to order the elimination or reduction of harmful and addictive ingredients in tobacco.
For decades, the FDA said it lacked authority to regulate cigarettes because cigarette makers did not make any health claim for their product. Anti-smoking advocates have been pushing for action since the Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that Congress had not authorized the FDA to regulate tobacco.