[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1663-E1664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           FAMILY SMOKING PREVENTION AND TOBACCCO CONTROL ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 30, 2008

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1108, the 
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This legislation 
would grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) long-needed 
authority to regulate the manufacture, sale, distribution and marketing 
of tobacco products.
  As we all know, tobacco use contributes to the death of more than 
400,000 Americans and costs the nation's health care system nearly $100 
billion each year. The most tragic part of this statistic is that 
virtually all of these deaths are preventable. It is alarming that 
preventable diseases such as emphysema, heart disease and cancer all 
can be attributed to the use of tobacco.
  In addition to providing consumers with science-based information 
about tobacco products, granting FDA the authority to regulate tobacco 
will more importantly help protect

[[Page E1664]]

our children from using these products. Approximately 90 percent of all 
adult smokers began their habit while in their teens, or earlier, and 
two-thirds become regular, daily smokers before they reach the age of 
19. According to the American Medical Association, each day, about 
4,000 children try smoking a cigarette for the first time and another 
1,000 become new, regular, daily smokers. This means that one-third of 
these children will die prematurely.
  Despite their claims to the contrary, the tobacco companies continue 
to market their products aggressively toward children. This bill will 
give FDA the authority to impose marketing restrictions, labeling 
requirements, as well as to ban candy flavored tobacco products in 
order to prevent tobacco companies from addicting children to tobacco.
  I am also pleased that the bill before us includes language that 
maintains the same role of the Appropriations Committee with regard to 
the fees in this bill that the Committee has with regard to other FDA 
user fees.
  This bill has strong bipartisan support, and is endorsed by key 
groups including the American Cancer Society, the American Medical 
Association, the American Heart Association, the American Lung 
Association, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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