Senators and American Cancer Society Call for A Vote: Tobacco Control Legislation Must Be Passed by Memorial Day

American Cancer Society
Wednesday, 29 April 1998

Washington 1998/04/29 -With mounting support on both sides of the aisle, the American Cancer Society joined a bipartisan group of U.S. senators who called on their colleagues today to pass comprehensive and stringent tobacco control legislation by the Memorial Day recess. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), John Chafee (R-RI), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Bob Graham (D-FL) joined the American Cancer Society's Chief Executive Officer John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., and other public health leaders in the call for the enactment of tough legislation.

"Thanks to the leadership of these five men, tobacco control legislation is within our reach. It is now time for a vote. This issue has been put off and misconstrued by the tobacco lobbyists long enough," said Seffrin. "We want to see this legislation enacted quickly because what we're talking about here is saving lives--especially the lives of our children.

"The release of the Surgeon General's report Monday on minority tobacco use just reiterates what we've heard time and again--Big Tobacco has been out to get our young people, and they've been very successful at doing so. It's time to put an end to the tobacco industry's ability to poison our kids," Seffrin added.

The American Cancer Society believes any federal tobacco control legislation should include:

- Empowering the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to have unfettered authority to regulate nicotine and other ingredients, as well as labeling, advertising and promotion of tobacco products.

- Holding tobacco companies accountable if youth smoking levels don't decline by 65 percent over the next 10 years.

- Increasing the price of tobacco products by $1.50 in a three-year period to discourage children from purchasing them.

- Allowing states and localities to enact consistent or more stringent tobacco-control laws.

"Tobacco lobbyists keep talking about a half trillion dollars in new taxes imposed on the American people. Well, that's just not true. If you don't smoke, you don't pay a nickel. Price increases will stop kids from buying tobacco," Seffrin explained. "The overwhelming majority of Americans, even in tobacco-producing states, support a price increase because they know it will stop kids from buying this deadly product. Even more Americans support price increases when they understand part of the money will be used in programs to prevent kids from smoking.

"Three-thousand kids become regular smokers each day in America. Without tough tobacco control measures, our children's lives are in jeopardy. Tobacco use among our youth must stop. Without this legislation and a federal mandate to enforce it, our children will continue to be the industry's 'replacement smokers'--replacing the 419,000 Americans who die each year from tobacco-caused diseases," Seffrin added.

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org