Ohio Faith Leaders Call on Sen. Voinovich to Cosponsor Legislation to Protect Kids From Tobacco

Source from:  COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ 01/29/2008

A diverse coalition of clergy and lay members from throughout Ohio held a press conference today to urge U.S. Senator George Voinovich to support legislation that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over tobacco products. The legislation would protect kids from tobacco and save lives. Despite all the death and disease they cause, tobacco products are virtually unregulated to protect consumers health. This continuing lack of regulation allows the tobacco companies to market their deadly products to children, deceive consumers about the harm their products cause and resist even the most minimal steps to make their products less harmful. Restricting retail marketing practices would significantly reduce youth smoking, said Alvin Hadley, Executive Director, Columbus Metropolitan Area Church Council. It is critical to our communities and our public health to stop the marketing of tobacco products to our children. Congress needs to authorize the FDA to put an end to this marketing and help us protect our children from this deadly addiction. The legislation pending in Congress, S. 625 - The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - would give the FDA the authority to crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids, stop tobacco companies from misleading the public about the health risks of their products and allow changes in these products, such as the reduction or removal of harmful constituents. Unbelievably, despite being the most deadly product sold in America, tobacco products are exempt from basic health regulations that apply to other products we consume, such as food and drugs. The FDA regulates a box of macaroni and cheese and a tube of lipstick, but not a pack of cigarettes. Recent reports by the Presidents Cancer Panel and Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that in order for the United States to dramatically reduce tobacco use as a significant public health problem, it is essential to provide the FDA authority over tobacco products. As the IOM concluded, The time has come for Congress to exercise its acknowledged authority to regulate the production, marketing and distribution of tobacco products. The tobacco companies get away with their harmful practices because no government agency currently has any real authority over how tobacco products are manufactured or marketed, said Sharon Becker, Health Ministries Association of Ohio and Good Samaritan Hospital, Dayton. This year, Congress has an opportunity to do something truly important to improve the health of Americas families. Identical, bipartisan bills to grant the FDA authority over tobacco have been introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives. Demonstrating strong, bipartisan support, the legislation has 55 Senate sponsors and 218 House sponsors. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passed the legislation last fall. At least one Senator has already threatened to filibuster this legislation despite broad bipartisan support, so it is critical that Senator Voinovich make clear where he stands on the issue. Sixty votes will be needed to end a filibuster on the Senate floor and Senator Voinovichs support will be critical for final passage of the bill. This legislation has the support of every major national public health organization and more than 560 public health, faith and other organizations across the country (see list at: http:www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/fda/organizations.pdf), as well as the strong support of the American people. According to a recent national poll, 70 percent of voters support Congress passing the legislation and 72 percent believe passage of the legislation would be an important accomplishment for Congress. The poll also shows FDA regulation of tobacco is supported across political lines, geographic regions and even by a majority of smokers (detailed poll results: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/fdapoll/). Nationwide, tobacco use kills more than 400,000 people and costs more than $96 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 23 percent of high school students smoke and more than 1,000 kids become new regular smokers every day. In Ohio, tobacco use kills 18,600 residents and costs the state $4.37 billion in health care bills a year, and over 20 percent of high school students smoke. Enditem