    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [February 28, 1997]
    [Pages 222-223]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Initiative To Protect Youth From Tobacco
    February 28, 1997

        Thank you, Anna Santiago, for the power of your example and for that
    very fine introduction. I want to thank all the young people who are
    here, the advocates who are here, the Members of Congress who are here
    who have championed this battle for so long. Especially, I thank the
    Vice President, Secretary Shalala for what they have done.
        And of course, I want to have a special word of thanks to David
    Kessler. I think he's had a bigger impact on the lives and health and
    the future of the American people than any person who ever held the job
    of FDA Commissioner before him, and I thank him very much. Because of
    David Kessler, we have been able to undertake this initiative to protect
    our young people from tobacco. Because of your actions over the last 6
    years, more AIDS and cancer patients are getting better drugs faster, as
    well; more people are getting better information on their food labels;
    every American can go to bed knowing that the food on their tables, the
    medicines in their cabinets are safe. You've left us a great legacy. All
    Americans should be grateful to you, and we'll do our best to replace
    you. The Vice President and I would like to be invited to Yale from time
    to time to give a speech. [Laughter]
        Let me say that the reason we're all here today is to ensure that
    Anna and all the young people behind me, and the young people all across
    America for whom they stand today, have a chance to live out their
    dreams. They can only do that if they choose positive and healthy
    lifestyles and if we give them the support they need to make those
    choices. That's why the number one goal of the drug strategy we
    announced earlier this week is to motivate our children to reject
    illegal drugs.
        Most of us have an instinctive urge to protect our young people from
    danger. We teach them to look both ways before crossing the street. We
    tell them not to touch a hot stove. We make sure they bundle up before
    going out in the cold. We should wrap that same protective arm around
    them when it comes to resisting smoking and the advertising and
    marketing of cigarettes.
        More Americans die every year from smoking-related diseases than
    from AIDS, car accidents, murders, suicides, and fires combined. Today
    it's estimated that 4\1/2\ million of our children and adolescents
    smoke. Another 1 million use smokeless tobacco. The problem is getting
    worse. Smoking rates among eighth graders have risen 50 percent in the
    last 6 years. One out of every three young people who picks up this

    [[Page 223]]

    deadly habit will have their lives shortened from the terrible diseases
    caused by smoking. As parents, as leaders, as citizens, all of us have a
    moral obligation to do what we can to protect them. That's why last
    August the FDA took bold action to protect our children from the dangers
    of tobacco. We knew it would be a tough battle, but the health and well-
    being of our children are worth that. We set a goal of reducing tobacco
    use by children and adolescents by 50 percent over 7 years. To do that,
    we initiated the Nation's first-ever comprehensive effort to restrict
    access and limit the appeal of tobacco to children.
        Today is the first day that some of these rules take effect, quite
    appropriately on David Kessler's last day on the Federal payroll. First,
    we're making the law of the land what is already the law in every State:
    no sale of tobacco products to anyone under age 18. Second, we're now
    requiring age verification by photo ID for anyone under the age of 27
    for the purchase of tobacco products. From now on, in every store in
    America, our children will be told, ``No ID, no sale.'' By requiring ID
    checks for people under 27, store clerks and managers will no longer
    have to guess the age of those seeking to buy cigarettes.
        Studies show that minors succeed in buying cigarettes over the
    counter nearly 70 percent of the time. That simply must stop. With these
    new requirements, we'll help to keep cigarettes out of reach of our
    young people while giving store clerks and managers a tool they need to
    make sure they're not inadvertently violating the law by selling to
    minors.
        Before we came out here, Secretary Shalala asked Anna if all of her
    efforts and all of these efforts were having any impact in reducing the
    tendency of her peers to smoke. And she said, ``Yeah, a lot of them are
    quitting because it's too much hassle now.'' [Laughter] That's the idea.
    [Laughter] That's good.
        Over the last 3 weeks, we've conducted massive education campaigns
    to let retailers know how they can comply with these new rules. We've
    even prepared this new guide, ``A Retailer's Guide to the New Federal
    Regulations''--appealing advertising, multi-color. [Laughter] This has
    been made available to 500,000 retailers around the country. I want
    every retailer and every community across our Nation to join with us in
    this important effort.
        Parents must continue to be the first line of defense, but all the
    rest of us have to make these rules work, and the retailers can play a
    major role. I honestly believe the overwhelming majority of them want to
    do so, and most of them are parents too. They have children too. We have
    a common interest in doing this job together. And we hope this guide
    will help them to achieve that goal.
        Cigarettes are still legal for adults. If they want to smoke, they
    can do so. But we have now clearly as a nation drawn a line where our
    children are concerned. We have done it together. We are committed
    together. And now we must make it real together.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:47 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Anna Santiago, Campaign for
    Tobacco Free Kids 1996 Advocate of the Year.