Legislative Background
Recent Action on Tobacco Regulation
Congress has been debating for more than decade whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be required to regulate tobacco products. The question first arose in 1995, when the Administration of President Bill Clinton launched a major effort to curb teen smoking. In 2000, however, the U.S. Supreme Court barred the FDA from regulating tobacco, ruling that it had exceeded its authority. The decision was viewed by antismoking lawmakers on Capitol Hill as an invitation to enact legislation to give the FDA broad new tobacco-regulation authority. A bill allowing the FDA to regulate the distribution, advertising, promotion, sale,…
