Broad tobacco regulation bill clears U.S. House

Legislation to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration broad authority to regulate cigarettes and other forms of tobacco cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The White House issued a statement voicing "serious concerns" about the bill and said advisers would recommend a presidential veto.

Backers, including public health groups and many Democrats, said the measure would help curtail youth smoking, prevent heart disease and reduce rising health-care costs.

"With this legislation, we will place sharp and sorely needed limits on access to tobacco products and on tobacco advertising and marketing," said Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The White House, however, said the legislation would "put an enormous burden on the FDA" that could detract from other public health responsibilities.

Requiring the FDA to oversee tobacco products also "could be perceived by the public as an endorsement that these products are safe, resulting in more people smoking," the White House said.

The bill, which cleared the House in a 326-102 vote, would authorize the FDA to police cigarette labelling and recall tobacco products seen as unreasonably harmful.

The FDA also would have to approve all new cigarettes and other tobacco products, and set standards for so-called reduced-risk products. The agency would not be empowered to ban cigarettes or require nicotine levels of zero.

The bill would authorize millions of dollars of fees levied on the industry starting in fiscal 2009 to fund the program.

The measure's most vocal proponent from industry has been the nation's largest cigarette maker, Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group. The legislation has won support from a host of smaller tobacco companies and retailers.

Some tobacco companies have opposed FDA regulation, saying it could spur industry consolidation because bigger companies would be best able to comply with it.

The Lorillard Tobacco Company, a unit of Lorillard Inc issued a statement saying it was "disappointed" with the House vote.

Lorillard - which makes Newport, Kent and other brands - supports reasonable federal regulation of the tobacco industry, but believes "the FDA is already overburdened and is the wrong agency to carry out this enormous task," it said.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat who has written a companion version of the bill, is hopeful the Senate will consider the legislation in the fall, spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner said.