Further flexing its newly-gained muscles to regulate tobacco, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced new federal regulations further restricting the marketing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to persons under 18.
The new regulations, authorized under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, go into effect on June 22, 2010, and will:
- Prohibit the sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco to people younger than 18.
- Prohibit the sale of cigarette packages with fewer than 20 cigarettes.
- Prohibit the sale of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in vending machines, self-service displays, or other impersonal modes of sales, except in very limited situations.
- Prohibit free samples of cigarettes and limits distribution of smokeless tobacco products.
- Prohibit tobacco brand name sponsorship of any athletic, musical, or other social or cultural event, or any team or entry in those events.
- Prohibit gifts or other items in exchange for buying cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products.
- Require that audio ads for cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products use only words with no music or sound effects.
- Prohibit the sale or distribution of items, such as hats and tee shirts, with tobacco brands or logos.
"This ruling is a critical piece of a coordinated effort to save lives, lower costs, and reduce suffering from heart disease, cancer and other tobacco-related illness," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a press release. "Today, we're addressing a larger public health effort to prevent our children from becoming the next generation of Americans to die early from tobacco-related disease. This is a great step toward a healthier America."
Also See:
Supreme Court Rules FDA Cannot Regulate Tobacco (2000)
Obama Signs Landmark Tobacco Control Law (2009)
FDA Launches Tobacco Control Center
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