The New York Times and Washington Post report today that Sen. Ted Kennedy will reintroduce legislation calling for regulation of the tobacco industry. Kennedy first introduced the bill in 2004 when it was passed by the Senate but stalled in the House.
The bill proposes to place tobacco industry — which for years has been largely unregulated — within the regulatory view of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA would be able to have a say in advertising, packaging, and content, according to the Washington Post. The rise in attention to this issue comes in response to a Harvard study concluding nicotine levels have been steadily rising in cigarettes.
This bill is a common sense approach to regulating a dangerous product; and should be considered reasonable by all parties, even tobacco farmers, who will be offered hefty compensation. It is a measure that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle should ardently support.
