Democratic Senators Discuss Protecting Children From The Dangers Of Smoking

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 08 Jun 2009 - 1:00 PST

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Democratic Senators Dick Durbin, Chris Dodd, Jack Reed and Frank Lautenberg joined Matt Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, at a press conference this morning to discuss the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The legislation will give the Food and Drug Administration legal authority to regulate the sale, distribution and advertising of cigarettes in order to stop tobacco companies from targeting children and misleading the public.

"For years, tobacco companies have been given a free ride to peddle one of most deadly products in the world," Durbin said. "Those days will soon come to an end. The Family Smoking and Prevention Act will make big tobacco play by the same rules as everyone else and reduce the terrible toll tobacco has taken on families around the country."

Said Dodd: "Every year, 15,000 Connecticut children try cigarettes for the first time. 76,000 Connecticut children, alive today, are expected to eventually die from smoking. Tobacco companies know that if they can't addict children, then they won't have any customers. It's time for the tobacco industry to come up with a new business model - and this bill will force them to."

"I commend Chairman Kennedy and Senator Dodd for their leadership on this issue," Reed said. "Smoking is a public health problem and it is also an economic problem that costs our health care system over $100 billion each year. This legislation will give the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco and prevent tobacco companies from targeting minors. Passing this bill will help reduce health care costs, prevent young people from smoking, and create a healthier future for our nation. "

Said Lautenberg: "Joe Camel may be dead, but this bill will ensure his entire species is extinct. We need to end the recruitment of kids as the next generation of smokers. For too long, tobacco companies and their powerful lobbyists have pushed their dangerous products on children. It is time to give the FDA authority to regulate tobacco and shut down the deceptive marketing and advertising that Big Tobacco has used to addict our kids."

"By passing this long-overdue legislation, the Senate can take truly historic action to protect our children from tobacco addiction and save countless lives," Myers said. "This legislation has the strong, bipartisan support of the American people and more than 1,000 public health, faith and other organizations across the nation. Enactment of this legislation would represent the strongest action Congress has ever taken to reduce tobacco use, the nation's number one cause of preventable death."

Source
From the office of Senator Frank Lautenberg