Tobacco Issues

An FDA/Tobacco bill similar to H.R. 1256, as recently passed by the House will be marked up by the Senate HELP Committee in mid-May, then introduced to the Senate floor late May or Early June. If the text of this bill accurately reflected the summary used to attract endorsements and congressional sponsors, we, too, would be enthusiastically endorsing this bill as proposed. Unfortunately, as a result of our careful reading of the entire bill and multiple attempts to seek the opinion of Representative Waxman's Office, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK) and other organizations endorsing the bill -- we  have reluctantly reached the conclusions that this bill, if passed in its current form, would do more harm than good in terms of future tobacco-related illness and death.  I ignores the plight of current adult American smokers. It gives the image, but not the substance of effective federal regulatory authority. For detail and justification for these seemingly radical views, please see the May 5 Senate Amendments and the other documents listed below. (this note prepared by Dr. Joel NItzkin, Chair of the Tobacco Control Task Force of the American Association of Public Health Physicians, May 5, 2009.

Senate Amendments Recommended for FDA/Tobacco Bill (based on H.R.1256) May 5, 2009

Projections of Alternative Approaches to Federal Legislation re Tobacco Control March 3, 2009

Fax to House Energy and Commerce Committee March 3, 2009

Promoting Snus, Response to Zhu et al, February 6, 2009
The abstract and our response are accessible from TC at http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/tc.2008.028209v1

AAPHP TCTF Challenge to FDA/Tobacco Bill January 12, 2009

Nitzkin Letter to Editor, NEJM, Published 11/6/08,and Response by Brandt

Resolution and White Paper on Harm Reduction - (October 26, 2008)

HR1108/S625 The Myth of the Safe Cigarette (with technical references) 8/19/08

Full Text of of FDA/Tobacco Bill S.625/H.R. 1108 as of May 3, 2008

AAPHP Full Analysis of S.625/H.R. 1108 (July 12, 2007)

Tobacco harm reduction: an alternative cessation strategy for inveterate smokers - Rodu & Godshall (December 21. 2007

Wall Street Analyses of Impact of FDA/Tobacco Bill March 14, 2000

Morgan Stanley Analysis of Impact of FDA/Tobacco Bill February 15, 2000

"Koop-Kessler Recommendations for Federal Tobacco Policy (December 18, 2003)