Báo chí và kiểm soát thuốc lá: Happy Birthday to an Historic Tobacco Control Law

Today we celebrate the first birthday of a landmark law – the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. When the president signed the act into law on June 22, 2009, it marked the culmination of a decade-long effort by the American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network^SM (ACS CAN), to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over the manufacture, marketing, and sale of tobacco products.

Just one year ago, tobacco products were virtually the only legally consumable goods not regulated in this country. Now, with this law in effect, the tobacco industry must finally tell the truth about its products, which kill more than 400,000 people in America each year, and cease its relentless and deceptive marketing to children.

The law already bans candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes, which for decades were primarily marketed to attract and addict youth smokers. Beginning today, several important provisions dealing with the marketing and manufacturing of tobacco products take effect, including:

A ban on the use of misleading descriptions such as “light,” “mild,” and “low-tar” in the marketing of cigarettes;
Larger, stronger warning labels on smokeless tobacco products;
A first-ever federal prohibition on cigarette and smokeless tobacco sales to minors;
A ban on all tobacco-brand sponsorships of sports and cultural events;
A ban on virtually all free tobacco samples and giveaways of non-tobacco items, such as hats and T-shirts, with the purchase of tobacco;
A prohibition on the sale of cigarettes in packs of fewer than 20 – so-called “kiddie packs” that make cigarettes more affordable and appealing to kids.

The tobacco industry fought the public health community’s efforts to pass this law for more than a decade, and true to form, the industry is challenging some provisions of the law in the courts. This is while Big Tobacco spends more than $34 million every day – $23,600 per minute – aggressively marketing its products to addict new, young smokers and keep current users from quitting.

The Society and ACS CAN are working with their public health partners to oppose the industry’s litigation. Strong tobacco regulation, along with tobacco control measures at the state and community level such as smoke-free policies that enable workers and patrons to avoid the hazards of secondhand smoke, increased tobacco taxes that discourage people from continuing or picking up a smoking habit, and support for tobacco cessation programs that help smokers quit, will have a profoundly positive impact on public health.

So let’s celebrate a landmark legislative achievement and an historic day in tobacco control. For more information about the law, visit the ACS CAN website. As always, thank you for all you do to make our lifesaving work possible.