Michigan News
| Walberg sides with big tobacco over consumers |
| Posted by Ryan Hersha (rhersha) on Aug 01 2008 at 8:11 PM |
www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article
House vote treats tobacco for what it is: unhealthy
The federal government regulates many things that are inherently less dangerous than tobacco, which may be the only product one uses by sticking it in one's mouth and setting it on fire. The Food and Drug Administration should be able to slap some controls on the marketing and labeling of something that costs the nation hundreds of millions of health care dollars each year, not to mention lost work time because of smoking-related illnesses and even smoking breaks.
So it is significant that the U.S. House this week voted for the first time to give the FDA the power to regulate tobacco products. The vote was 326-102, with only two of Michigan's representatives, Republicans Thad McCotter of Livonia and Tim Walberg of Tipton, among the opposition.
Michigan U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow are among cosponsors of similar legislation in the Senate.
(The state Legislature would do well to show such bipartisan accord on a smoking ban for Michigan bars, restaurants and casinos, to spare workers and nonsmokers from exposure to toxic tobacco fumes, but the folks in Lansing are content to play political games with public health on this issue.)
The proposed FDA regulation is by no means a done deal. Senate Republicans are trying to block it as a bargaining chip to win expanded oil drilling, and President George W. Bush is opposed, saying the government already spends $700 million a year to combat smoking. Yes, but how effective can that be when 435,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related illnesses?
If the measure passes, there also will be the question of how well the beleaguered FDA can do this job, given its workload protecting the nation's food supply and keeping pace with advances in the drug industry. The FDA's effectiveness will largely be a matter of resources, and the tobacco program would be financed through user fees on the industry.
This is an issue of health and welfare for Americans now, but especially for generations to come. This action is long overdue.