House approves FDA control over tobacco
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., waits to start a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. "We have come to what I hope will be an historic occasion, and that is finally doing something about the harm that tobacco does to thousands and thousands of Americans who die each year," he said Wednesday evening.
WASHINGTON – The House has approved legislation that for the first time would give the government powers to regulate tobacco products.
The 298-112 was a significant victory for anti-smoking groups that have long sought to subject cigarettes to the same government scrutiny that food items on the nation’s grocery shelves face.
Under the bill, the Food and Drug Administration would be able to regulate, but not ban, cigarettes and other tobacco products. The FDA could make ingredients public, ban flavoring and prohibit marketing campaigns.
The Senate could take up its version of the bill later this month. Supporters are confident they can get Senate passage and President Barack Obama’s signature on the bill.
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