Help Make 2007 the Year FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products Becomes Law

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Dear Karen Lawrence,

This year we are more hopeful than ever that strong legislation giving the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products will become law. Longtime champions Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), chair of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), have indicated that they plan to reintroduce strong, bipartisan FDA legislation early in this new Congress.

Please take a minute to urge your Member of Congress and Senators to become among the first congressional leaders who commit to protecting the public health and our kids from tobacco products.

By cosponsoring this legislation, your representative and senators will send a message that it is time for Congress to act. Thousands of children are becoming addicted to tobacco products each day and the tobacco industry is coming up with new marketing strategies, such as candy- and alcohol-flavored cigarettes, to lure more children into starting to smoke. Unless Congress acts to protect our kids, Big Tobacco will continue to target and entice them.

In 2004, Congress came extremely close to enacting legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products. Unfortunately, the leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives blocked the bill. With the changes in Congress, 2007 is the best chance yet for successful passage of strong legislation.

Don't let anymore time pass! Send a letter today to your legislators to protect kids from tobacco and promote public health by supporting FDA authority to regulate tobacco products and advertising claims.

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Your Congressperson
Your Senators

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Regulation of Tobacco Products

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

I'm writing today to urge you to cosponsor strong bipartisan legislation that would protect our kids and the public health from tobacco products. Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Representative Henry A. Waxman plan to introduce this legislation shortly.

Each day 2,000 children and teens become regular smokers. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death - almost 440,000 Americans die prematurely each year from smoking-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease and lung disease like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The Kennedy-Waxman legislation grants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) effective authority to regulate tobacco products, protecting children and promoting public health.

Currently, tobacco companies spend over $15 billion each year in advertising and marketing their products. A new wave of products, such as candy-flavored cigarettes with alluring names like Camel Kauai Kolada and Kool Midnight Berry, and alcohol-flavored cigarettes called Screwdriver Slots and many others, are clearly targeting children and teens. Others are appealing to those concerned about health with claims like "great taste - less toxins." This bill will allow the FDA to stop tobacco companies from marketing to children and making false health claims.

Unlike most other products consumed by Americans, tobacco products continue to escape even the most basic oversight. Until Congress acts, the tobacco companies will be free to continue their deadly business as usual.

Please cosponsor the strong FDA tobacco legislation as proposed by Senator Kennedy and Representative Waxman. This legislation will protect the public health and help prevent a new generation from becoming addicted to tobacco products.

Sincerely,

Karen Lawrence

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What's At Stake:

Each year, almost 440,000 Americans die from smoking-related illnesses caused by tobacco products that have largely escaped all health or safety oversight by the federal government. It is inexcusable that these deadly consumer products are unregulated. But we can change this with your help. Smoke from a single cigarette contains over 4,000 toxic chemicals, including arsenic, formaldehyde and ammonia. The tobacco industry spends over $15 billion to market tobacco products annually. Children and youth are especially influenced by these advertisements. Every day 6,000 young people smoke their first cigarette, and nearly 2,000 become addicted, daily smokers. Effective FDA authority over tobacco products will protect public health, improve consumer awareness and save lives. It will -

Require the disclosure of ingredients and additives in tobacco products.
Require changes in tobacco products to reduce harm such as reduction of harmful components when technologically feasible.
Require independent scientific testing of tobacco products and health claims about them. Prohibit dangerous and deceptive health claims.
Restrict advertising and promotions that appeal to kids.
Crack down on illegal sales of tobacco products to children.

Some tobacco companies are now targeting our children with candy- and alcohol-flavored cigarettes, and Congress must do something about it. These candy-flavored cigarettes come with names such as Twista Lime, Kauai Kolada and Midnight Berry. Recently, a new wave of alcohol-flavored cigarettes with names like Screwdriver Slots and Blackjack Gin was introduced. These tactics clearly show the lengths to which tobacco companies will go in order to target our children for a lifetime of addiction. The FDA bill would ban flavored cigarettes and crack down on other marketing to our kids.

It is critical that public health advocates take an active role in the FDA debate and let Congress know that it must give the FDA authority to regulate deadly tobacco products and advertising claims. Let your Senators and Representative know that you support strong FDA regulation of tobacco. Your voice does count!

American Lung Association Issues Tobacco Policy Trend Alert Calling for Government Action: Click Here

American Lung Association Issues Report Detailing Recent Tobacco Industry Campaign Linking Smoking With Alcohol Use, Gambling: Click Here

Campaign Expiration Date:
April 2, 2007

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