FDA to regulate tobacco

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jim Winkler, chief executive of the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society and chair of Faith United Against Tobacco, praised the U.S. Congress’ courage for overwhelmingly passing the “Family Smoking Prevention & Tobacco Control Act” this week.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday overwhelmingly endorsed new legislation that gives regulatory power over tobacco to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). By 307-97 the House voted to support a Senate version of the bill, which passed 79-17 on Thursday.

President Obama has indicated he will quickly sign the bill into law.

Winkler applauded Congress “for taking this courageous stand to significantly reduce the number of children who start to use tobacco, the number of adults who continue to use tobacco, and the number of people who suffer and die as a result.”

Faith United Against Tobacco (FUAT) is a coalition of more than 25 national faith denominations and organizations. Winkler said FUAT’s members decided long ago that continuing to bury so many people struck down early because of tobacco addiction is not acceptable. “This historic action by Congress will help to reduce the terrible toll of tobacco that we have witnessed for so long,” he said.

Regulate content and marketing

Under the new law, the FDA will begin regulating tobacco product content and marketing. The FDA could alter chemical content, such as reducing the amount of addictive nicotine cigarettes contain. Warnings on tobacco products would be enlarged, and advertising would have new restrictions.

Products targeted to youths and children, such as candy-like tobacco lozenges and sweet-flavored products, would be taken off the market.

Winkler pointed out that the Family Smoking Prevention & Tobacco Control Act is the result of more than a decade of deliberations and passionate debate. “Forty-five years after the first U.S. Surgeon General's report linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer,” he said, “the most deadly product sold in America will no longer be the least-regulated product sold in America.”

[The] act is the result of more than a decade of deliberations and passionate debate.

Most of the legislative opposition during the decade-long debate over regulation, as would be expected, came from tobacco-growing states. United Methodist Bishop Charlene Kammerer of Virginia praised the legislation. “Congress has taken a major step to protect our children and grandchildren and save lives,” she said. “This legislation will help reduce the terrible toll of tobacco on our community.”

Kammerer pointed out that in Virginia, nearly 9,300 children a year become regular smokers. “In our state alone, we spend more than $2 billion on health-care costs directly caused by smoking,” she said, “and 9,700 people die from tobacco each year.”

General Conference supported regulation

The United Methodist Church’s General Conference, its highest policy-making body, voted in 2004 to give FDA authority to regulate tobacco products. “Since that time,” Kammerer said, “Virginia United Methodists have been working with others in our denomination and with leaders of other faith communities in our state to encourage our lawmakers to take action to help protect Americans from the ravages of tobacco.”

The Rev. Cynthia Abrams, director of the General Board of Church & Society work area on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Addictions, said work on pushing for passage of this legislation has been "a nine-year-long struggle.”

Many United Methodists were involved in the struggle, according to Abrams. She mentioned Glyndon Bode and Wanda Holcombe in Texas, Brian Wingo in North Carolina, Steve Copley in Arkansas, Naomi Sea Young in Iowa and Dee Stickley-Miner in Ohio, as just a few to indicate how widespread support has been for tobacco regulation.

Besides the faith community, Abrams said many health organizations and associations, and coalitions such as Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids have worked diligently to get this legislation through Congress.

“The president has repeatedly expressed his support for this life-saving legislation,” Winkler said, “and we are eager to see him sign it into law very soon. We give thanks to God for the passage of this legislation.”

Alcohol & Other Addictions

For more on alcohol and other additions, visit the Alcohol & Other Addictions page on the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) web site: Alcohol & Other Addictions.

Action Network

The Rev. Cynthia Abrams supervises an “Action Network” that provides legislative updates, educational resources and identifies opportunities to act on issues involving alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, gambling and pornography. Information focuses on addiction recovery, prevention and regulation. She issues “action alerts” periodically through e-mail.

Joining the Alcohol & Other Addictions Action Network is free: go to umpower.org or click on My GBCS on the General Board of Church and Society Web site, www.umc-gbcs.org. You can also contact Donna Brandyberry, (202) 488-5641.

Cynthia Abrams can be reached at (202) 488-5636.