House Votes to Let FDA Regulate Tobacco

Firms seek to quash graphic NYC ads

(NEWSER) - Images of cancerous lungs, rotting teeth, and brain damage caused by smoking are "unappetizing," complain lawyers for tobacco companies suing New York City. RJ Reynolds, Philip Morris, and Lorillard are taking the city to court over anti-smoking ads that stores selling cigarettes are now legally required to post near the cash register, the New York Daily News reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Australians may be coughing up $20 for a pack of cigarettes if officials approve a new anti-smoking plan, the Age reports. The proposal, designed to cut Aussie smoking by a third, would ban all tobacco sponsorship and online sales, devote 95% of cigarette packaging to graphic health warnings, and tax packs—currently at $13.50—up to $16.35, and then $20.15. More»

(NEWSER) - Tobacco companies engaged in “deceits” and knowingly marketed cigarettes without regard for consumers’ health, violating civil racketeering laws, a federal appeals court ruled today. In upholding the verdict in a landmark case brought by the Clinton Justice Department in 1999, the court refused to overturn a district judge’s order that the companies, including Altria and Philip Morris, stop using such marketing terms as “low tar” and “light,” the Washington Post reports. More»

Menthol cigarettes go down easier with youngsters

(NEWSER) - Tobacco companies use menthol to make the taste of cigarettes more acceptable to young first-time smokers until they become addicted, a new study charges. Researchers found that 44% of child smokers used menthol cigarettes, reports Reuters. "Menthol stimulates the cooling receptors in the lungs," said an expert from the Harvard School of Public Health who studied the marketing of menthol cigarettes. "Menthol helps the nicotine go down. It makes smoking easier." More»

Congress set to pass law to give feds power over toxic ingredients

(NEWSER) - Congress is set to pass a law today that will give the federal FDA the same power over tobacco it has over drugs and medical devices. Identical bills in both houses, hailed by the American Lung Association as a "win for public health," would allow the government to regulate levels of tar, nicotine and other hazardous ingredients in new cigarette products. More»