Support for the FDA's Regulation of Tobacco

Ensuring that the law giving the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco products is effectively implemented

Field of Work: Tobacco control

Problem Synopsis: New federal legislation in 2009 gave the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) authority to restrict tobacco marketing to youth, limit youth access to tobacco, require changes in tobacco products, regulate claims about tobacco safety and require more effective warnings on cigarette packs. The FDA created the Center for Tobacco Products to implement these powers, but additional support was needed while it acquired capacity.

Synopsis of the Work: The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids submitted recommendations for FDA actions such as new cigarette warning labels, provided legal support for lawsuits against FDA by the tobacco industry, educated the public health community about regulation issues, and worked with the scientific community to build an evidence base for the campaign's recommendations.

Key Findings/Results: The FDA incorporated the campaign's recommendations into several actions, including a ban on flavored tobacco, a ban on the use of descriptors for cigarettes and new labeling for smokeless products.

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