Posted on 06/11/2009 1:26:58 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Years in the Making, Senate Votes to Give FDA Power to Regulate Tobacco
Times have changed now that even tobacco states have smoking bans. Today, after two weeks of wrangling and a decade of considering the change, the U.S. Senate endorsed increased regulation of tobacco.
Senators voted 79-17 to regulate tobacco in the same way the government regulates everything else you put in your body -- from Froot Loops to aspirin.
Watch "World News With Charles Gibson" tonight at 6:30 ET for the full report.
At Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, organization president Matthew L. Myers called the vote "a truly historic victory" and "the strongest action Congress has ever taken to reduce tobacco use."
"Forty-five years after the first U.S. Surgeon General's report linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer, the most deadly product sold in America will no longer be the least-regulated product sold in America," Myers said in a statement.
The bill would give the federal government the power to regulate cigarette ingredients, to ban the marketing of "light cigarettes" and to require graphic warning labels.
It's a huge move that's been a long time coming.
"We have tried for ten years and we have failed," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., in a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month when the Senate voted to break a filibuster and consider the legislation. "Think what kind of a difference we could have made. How many lives we would have saved if we passed this ten years ago."
The House already passed its version of the bill in April, so it will go the president as soon as the chambers iron out the differences.
Unlike former President Bush, who suggested he'd veto legislation to give the FDA authority over tobacco, President Obama has said he supports it.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
How does Obama get his Pall Malls or Kools? Does he send a secret service agent out for cartons?I think he bums them off A-Rod and Eliot Spitzer when they're visiting his daughters.
“I think he bums them off A-Rod and Eliot Spitzer when they’re visiting his daughters.”
Pretty funny stuff...considered becoming a liberal ahole and doing a late night “comedy” show?
They think they have trouble dealing with “drug” gangs, wait until they meet tobacco gangs.
Completely and thoroughly un-Constitutional.
Exactly. Who’s gonna pay for little kiddies’ healthcare now?
The STUPIDITY exhibited by the US Government is astounding.
Tax this, tax that and change the behavior resulting in lower taxes overall...WE all know this result is inevitable...why don’t they?
fmall!!
This bill sucks as do smokers. The states should regulate tobacco, not the FDA.
Still, an added benefit is that it gets the smokies panties in a twist and the babble about transfats and the slippery slope.
Time to stock up on cigars.
No mistake — this marks the start of Prohibition II. I feel sorry for those of you who still smoke— I know you’re out there. Not fair for the smokers, who will soon turn to illegal means if they can’t get their smokes.
Perhaps the attack on the southern states is happening because those states didn't vote for him. Payback time.
I keep seeing references to Obama still smoking. Do you know this or are you just deducing it?
lol! and I’m at work too! shhhh...
SZQ
His PA- Personal Asst-Reggie Love
Why don’t they put pot into the tobacco seeing as to how they are in charge of the ingredients? It would cut down on the nicotine and pot is sorta kinda legal-—right?
My brain hurts...
Almost looks like a talking point, doesn’t it.
Nah, King Alcohol will be the deadliest product sold in America when this gets done. Actually, it already is, but these fags would probably say it comes in third after globull warming and tobacco smoking. But tobacco smoking causes globull warming, so I guess that makes it numero uno AND dos.
“Wonder how all the VA and NC folk who voted their states Obama blue feel right about now.......”
You can blame the liberals in the DC suburbs who are taking over our state for this. They moved to VA because the taxes and cost of living in DC and MD were too high and a lot of businesses have moved here from states like MI and NY for the same reason. Unfortunately, they are trying to turn Virginia into another northeast nanny state. The same probably applies to NC as well, though their senators voted against this bill. Also, Altria is based in Richmond and was a major sponsor of this stupidity so they can dominate what will be left of the market - I am sure that they gave heavily to Webb and Warner who voted for it.
WTF is next, beer? whiskey,booze
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In a word....yes. That’s how it’s done in the UK.
Note To Mr.Miller, all that you speak may in fact be true. But it is also true according to the Gov & most citizens. That cigarettes are frankly about as dangerous as sucking on a Nuclear Fuel Rod. I am afraid that smokers are quickly running out of options. If they continue to smoke, they will be carrying a extremely heavy tax burden. I was able to quit smoking 3 years ago. By basically reminding myself that i will NOT pay these crazy taxes and be treated like a damn dog at the same time !
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