Statement of Congressman John D. Dingell, Chairman
Committee on Energy and Commerce

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE MARKUP OF H.R. 1108, THE "FAMILY SMOKING PREVENTION AND TOBACCO CONTROL ACT"

April 2, 2008

This morning the Committee will consider H.R. 1108, the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.” This important legislation addresses our longstanding concern with tobacco use, especially by our Nation’s youth.

For many years, Americans have been aware of the toll of tobacco on human lives. Despite our efforts to decrease the number of smokers, cigarette smoking is still the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smoking is responsible for approximately 1 in 5 deaths annually, about 435,000 deaths each year. In addition to the 45 million adult smokers in the United States, it is estimated that more than 1,140 young people become addicted every day.

The cost of tobacco use in health and lives is compounded by the burden it places on our economy. Annually, cigarette smoking in the United States costs more than $167 billion, based on lost productivity and healthcare expenditures.

This legislation not only gives the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco, but also provides the agency with resources necessary to meet these new responsibilities. This program will be fully funded through fees paid by tobacco companies, and will not divert resources away from FDA’s existing obligations.

The agency will finally be able to ensure that adult smokers have the information needed to assess the real risks of tobacco use, to limit youth access to tobacco products, and to place appropriate restrictions on advertising and marketing— especially to young people.

I commend Chairman Pallone and the Members of the Subcommittee for their leadership and hard work in presenting the full Committee with a historic and carefully crafted piece of legislation. It has resulted in strong support for this bill by public health groups and industry alike.

More specifically, I thank the Members of the Committee for working together to further improve this important legislation. Reps. Boucher and Hill have led the effort to clarify the Committee’s intent to protect tobacco growers. Mr. Ross and Mr. Melancon have worked very hard to ensure that retailers are treated fairly, but are still held accountable. And, Mr. Butterfield and Mr. Boucher have helped ensure that the concerns of small tobacco product manufacturers are addressed.

I also recognize the contributions of the public health organizations that fought for more than 20 years for this day. I commend in particular the work of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society.

And finally, I commend Mr. Waxman for his long dedication to this cause. Because of his work and the cooperation of the Members of this Committee, we will take a giant step forward in protecting the lives of Americans, particularly our youth, from the harmful effects of tobacco. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation and to work with us to enact this bill into law.