RICHMOND, Va., July 30 /EMWNews/ -- The U.S. House of

Representatives took a historic step today by passing legislation that

would grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over

tobacco products, including the authority to crack down on tobacco

marketing and sales to kids. The bill passed with an overwhelming majority

and broad, bipartisan support. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for

consideration and Virginia public health organizations called on Senators

Jim Webb (D-VA) and John Warner (R-VA) to protect America's kids from

tobacco addiction and cosponsor the bill.



    "Senator Webb and Senator Warner have critical roles to play in

ensuring that strong FDA tobacco regulation is enacted into law," said

David DeBiasi, the Director of Advocacy and Public Education for the

American Lung Association of Virginia. "The tobacco industry spends $13.4

billion a year marketing its products and more than $438 million in

Virginia. We call on Senators Webb and Warner to support the bill that

would grant the FDA authority over tobacco."



    Among other things, the legislation would:



    -- Crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids;



    -- Require larger, more effective health warnings on tobacco products;



    -- Require tobacco companies to disclose the contents of tobacco

products;



    -- Grant the FDA authority to require changes in tobacco products, such

as removal or reduction of harmful ingredients;



    -- Stop tobacco companies from misleading the public about health risks

of their products.



    Unbelievably, despite all the harm they cause, tobacco products are

exempt from basic health regulations that apply to other products, such as

food, drugs, and even cosmetics. The tobacco companies continue to take

advantage of this lack of regulation to market their deadly and addictive

products to our children, deceive consumers about the harm their products

cause, make changes to their products without disclosing them (such as

secretly increasing nicotine levels in cigarette smoke), and resist any

meaningful change to make their products less harmful.



    The Senate bill, sponsored by U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and

John Cornyn (R-TX), has 57 sponsors and cosponsors. The legislation is also

supported by more than 680 public health, faith and other organizations

across the country, including every major national public health

organization. Regulation of tobacco products by the FDA was endorsed last

year by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and

the President's Cancer Panel. A poll conducted in June found that 70

percent of American voters support Congress passing the legislation.



    Tobacco use is the nation's leading preventable cause of death, killing

more than 400,000 people and costing more than $96 billion in health care

costs each year. In Virginia, tobacco use kills 9,300 residents each year

and costs the state $2 billion in health care bills annually. Currently,

more than 21 percent of Virginia high school students smoke.