[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 56 (Thursday, April 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E885-E886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           FAMILY SMOKING PREVENTION AND TOBACCO CONTROL ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 2009

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1256, The 
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This legislation is 
good for our children. It keeps tobacco out of our children's hands and 
restricts advertising directed at young people. This legislation also 
works to ensure the quality and relative safety of tobacco products, in 
spite of their known dangers to human health.

[[Page E886]]

  As a Member of this body who represents a tobacco growing area, I 
worked to ensure that this is balanced legislation. This is not a 
perfect bill, but it does represent an approach that considers the 
impact on those whose livelihoods depend on farming tobacco. North 
Carolina is the largest tobacco producing state in the Nation and my 
district is in the top three of overall production. We cannot simply 
ignore the economic impact that this crop represents to our state, and 
in this legislation we have not done so.
  Tobacco remains a legal product, but we need to protect our Nation's 
children from its effects. H.R. 1256 puts in place uniform marketing 
standards and controls, as well as ensuring that the marketing is 
straightforward, and that the ingredients are properly disclosed.
  While this bill will go a long way in protecting our Nation's 
children from tobacco, it allows our Nation's tobacco farmers to 
continue their way of life. As the Chairman has assured me in our 
colloquy on the House floor, this legislation will keep FDA off the 
farm.
  I urge my colleague's to protect our Nation's children and support 
our Nation's farmers. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 1256.

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