Regulating tobacco

The overwhelming approval by Congress of tobacco regulation reflects the change in public attitudes toward smoking begun when the surgeon general declared it hazardous to our health 45 years ago.

The 79-17 vote in the Senate followed by the 307-97 approval in the House cap decades of anti-smoking campaigns to restrict sales, advertising and use of tobacco products.

While some may yet protest federal intervention in the marketplace and regulations of a legal product, their numbers have been diminishing as the health dangers and deception by tobacco companies have become more apparent.

Cigarettes cause up to 400,000 deaths a year with smoking-related illnesses costing $100 billion annually in health care expenses, contributing to the changing political and social landscape.

The legislation gives the government authority it never had to regulate the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products. The Food and Drug Administration is allowed to evaluate the contents of tobacco products with the power to ban some of the estimated 6,000 chemicals used in the products that might be a danger to public health.

The FDA still will not be able to ban nicotine or tobacco products, though.

Tobacco companies and importers will have to disclose all of the ingredients in their products. FDA approval will be required for new products.

Companies will no longer be able to promote the perception of safer tobacco products with words such as "light," "mild" or low." Most flavorings such as candy or fruit that might be aimed at children are also banned, but menthol is still permitted.

To limit sales aimed at youth, tobacco companies are banned from sponsoring sports and entertainment events and from advertising in magazines often read by teenagers.

Warning labels will have to be enlarged to cover 50 percent of the cigarette pack and display graphic images of the harmful effects of tobacco.

Since 1965, the number of smokers has been cut in half to about 20 percent of American adults. The legislation should further reduce that in years to come.