    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [June 22, 1998]
    [Pages 1010-1011]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Announcing a Survey of Youth Tobacco Brand Preference and an
    Exchange With Reporters
    June 22, 1998

        The President. Good morning. I'm about to leave for Vice President
    Gore's Family ReUnion Conference in Nashville, something that he and Mrs. Gore have done
    now for many years, to discuss central concerns of America's families.
    And since we have been here in the White House, we've often used the
    conference as a springboard for new initiatives to strengthen our
    families and move our country forward.
        Today we're going to be talking about health concerns of American
    families. Of course, one of the biggest health concerns is youth
    smoking, something we've been discussing a lot around here lately. We
    all now know that 3,000 young people start smoking every day, and that
    1,000 will die earlier because of it, even though it's illegal in every
    State to sell cigarettes to young people.

    [[Page 1011]]

        That is why 3 years ago, through the Food and Drug Administration,
    my administration began to act to end the practice of tobacco companies
    marketing cigarettes to children and why for the past year we've been
    working so hard to forge an honorable and bipartisan compromise to
    protect our children from the dangers of tobacco.
        A majority of the Senate now stands ready to join us, but last week
    the Republican leadership placed partisan politics and tobacco companies
    above our families. Their vote was not just pro-tobacco-lobby; it was
    anti-family. The bipartisan bill they blocked would not only protect
    families from tobacco advertising aimed at children; it would protect
    children from drugs, give low and middle income families a tax cut by
    redressing the marriage penalty, and make substantial new investments in
    medical research, especially in cancer research.
        The congressional leadership seems willing to walk away from its
    obligation to our children, but this issue is too important to walk
    away. We'll continue to move forward on every possible front to protect
    children.
        By the end of year, the FDA's operation to enforce its ban on
    tobacco sales to minors will be active in nearly every State in America.
    And while we wait for Congress to heed the call of America's families,
    I'm instructing the Department of Health and Human Services to produce
    the first-ever annual survey on the brands of cigarettes teenagers smoke
    and which companies are most responsible for the problem. Parents, quite
    simply, have a right to know. Public health officials can also use this
    information to reduce youth smoking.
        The tobacco companies' automatic and angry dismissal of this new
    survey shows their continued disregards for their children's health and
    parents' concerns. We have a right to know. For years and years and
    years, they had information that proved tobacco was addictive and that
    demonstrated they were marketing to children, and they didn't think we
    had a right to know that either. I believe this is very helpful
    information, and we'll do our best to get good, accurate, honest data.
        Once this information becomes public, companies will then no longer
    be able to evade accountability, and neither will Congress. From now on,
    the new data will help to hold tobacco companies accountable for
    targeting children.
        Again, I urge Congress to pass bipartisan comprehensive legislation
    rather than a watered-down bill written by the tobacco lobby. The
    leadership must put families' interests above big tobacco's interests.
    America's children deserve that, and I'll continue to do everything I
    can to ensure that they get it.
        Thank you.
        Q.  Isn't it a lost cause, Mr. President?
        The President.  No.
        Q.  Mr. President, absent any penalties, what confidence do you have
    that just finger pointing at the tobacco companies will have any impact
    on teen smoking?
        The President. I think if you have an annual survey--first of all, I
    think it will be easier to get penalties. But if you have an annual
    survey that shows a substantial differential in brand preference among
    young people, then it will clearly demonstrate that there is something
    in the nature of the advertising that has something to do with this.
        I mean, we basically know that the three elements involved here are
    advertising and access and then the general culture, so I believe that--
    I think that advertising is very important. If there is no advertising--
    excuse me, and price, the fourth thing is price. And so if advertising
    can be isolated and we can see that in brand preference, I think it will
    help us quite a lot to forge some good policies.
        But you've got to understand, I still think we can get legislation,
    and I'm not at all ready to give up on it. I'm going to keep fighting
    for it. A majority wants it. The leadership of the Republican Party in
    Congress does not want it--desperately doesn't want it. And the tobacco
    companies don't want it. But the American people do.
        And all of the evidence that I've seen shows that the more people
    know about what's in the bill, as opposed to their $40-million
    characterization of it, the more their support goes up. So we need to
    keep fighting, and we intend to continue to do that.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:18 a.m. outside the Oval Office at the
    White House, prior to his departure for Nashville, TN.