By | 20 Mar 2017

Fighting Back Against Big Tobacco

Some familiar proposals are popping up in Congress once again that would weaken the Food and Drug Administration’s ability to effectively regulate tobacco products, and they are bad news for public health.

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One proposal would exempt many cigars from any FDA oversight at all. Another would exempt cigars, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products from an important product review designed to protect public health. These exemptions will prevent the FDA from monitoring the manufacturing, marketing and sale of these products; allowing the tobacco companies to continue targeting our kids with their fruit and candy-flavored products.

These proposals, strongly supported by the tobacco industry, were approved by a House Committee last year but failed to make it into the final law. The tobacco industry is once again lobbying hard for their passage. The American Heart Association is fighting back, sending letters and meeting with Members of Congress to be sure they see these proposals for what they are: tobacco industry tricks that will allow them to target & hook a new generation of smokers.

Stay tuned for an opportunity to contact your Members of Congress soon. We’ll need your help as we fight back against big tobacco and their tricks.

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