Truth About Cigarette Regulation and the FDA

The recent move by our government to put cigarette regulation under the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) is a big deal, but not for the reason it seems. Most articles and news stories on this recent change in tobacco policy applaud this as both a positive change and a major shift in US policy on tobacco. This is true, but at the same time, it isnt maybe the whole truth. The big deal is that tobacco companies have effectively lobbied against and avoided this shift in regulation for decades. Further, during that time I have heard that tobacco does not fit into the standards of the FDA and would not be approvable. One of the provisions of this is that the FDA would not be able to place an outright ban on the sales and use of tobacco products. So what exactly does this change mean? The regulation requires a reduction of the ability to market cigarettes and other tobacco products. For example, point of sale promotions will be reduced including no freebie give away with purchase. Also, the packs themselves are required to have a warning on half the front and half the back, much like cigarette packs in Canada. The big one, is that cigarettes will no longer be able to labeled as light, ultra-light, low tar. Also, flavored cigarettes, including cloves, would also be banned.... ....but wait, here is where the whole thing changes around. Why does the biggest cigarette company in the country support this? Simple. There is a huge exemption in this regulation... existing products will be allowed to remain. So there you go, competition effectively eliminated. No new competitors will be able to come on the scene offering light strawberry flavored cigarettes. Isnt there always some sort of back room deal? Even in the Obama administration, the guise is a healthier policy about tobacco products, and in some ways, it is a move in the right direction, but in the end... it aids huge tobacco companies in locking down their sales, the industry and their power. Truth About Cigarette Regulation and the FDA. By Chris Corsello [July 2009] (NorCalCorsello on YouTube) (Corsello on MySpace and Facebook)