Philip Morris Would Support FDA Regulatory Power
Responding to a presidential commission's report recommending that Congress give the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products, Philip Morris Inc. has proposed a plan of its own that supports government tobacco regulation, rewritten warning labels and additional disclosure of ingredients, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports. According to its proposal, Philip Morris would support:
- new laws to codify tobacco advertising restrictions that are part of the 1998 national tobacco settlement;
- FDA regulatory power to change the text of warning labels; and
- legislation allowing the FDA to "require disclosure of information about individual constituents in cigarette smoke that it believes would be meaningful to consumers."
Philip Morris spokesperson Brendan McCormick categorized the proposal as a "starting point for further discussion," adding that the company would oppose regulatory power to ban cigarettes or change ingredients "to the extent [that] consumers would find them 'unacceptable.'" Saying the proposal did not "impress" him, Matthew Myers, co-chair of the presidential commission and president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, added that the proposal "shows more blatantly that Philip Morris is talking about a weak FDA that would not have the type of broad powers that everyone in the public health community agrees is necessary." No other cigarette manufacturer has submitted a proposal (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 2/21).
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