Regulating Tobacco

On September 14 , 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) hired Lawrence Deyton, M.S.P.LH., M.D. as the director of the agency’ new Center for Tobacco Products. Dr. Deyton is supposed to be an expert on Public Health tobacco use and veterans’ health issues. He is also a clinical professor of medicine and health policy of George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Science. President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act on June 22, 2009. The act gave FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products. Even though they were to regulate tobacco products, FDA still had limited authority according to the law. According to the center for Disease Control and Prevention, tobacco was the cause of over 400,000 deaths each year in the US. This would rate 1 out of 5. In one of the question and answer sessions with Dr. Deyton, this question was asked: “Will the FDA a tobacco use? The answer of course was “No”. In spite of all the illnesses caused by tobacco use, the law specifically states that the FDA cannot ban an entire category of tobacco products, such as cigarette, snuff, or chewing tobacco. It has been stated that the FDA must execute its responsibilities in full recognition of the indisputable facts about tobacco use: FACT: Tobacco is an addictive product and has profound health effects on the public health of our nations and its users. The FDA wanted to make sure that people who choose to use tobacco products hear all of the facts including information on what is in these products. Other questions asked were “How does the regulation of tobacco products differ from FDA’s regulation of drugs or medical devices? Dr. Deytons reply “FDA’s regulatory role for drugs and medical devices is usually based on a safety and effectiveness standard”. (FDA Consumer Health Information) A new standard is established with the tobacco act. This is to regulate tobacco products that would be based on the population and public health standard. If the FDA gets an application for a new drug to treat a disease, there guideline is to study patients who have the disease. However when they get an application for a new tobacco product, the laws lets them know they have to consider if permitting the product’s marketing protects the general population as a whole. They have to look at both sides, people who use tobacco and those that don’t and they have to consider that their actions what ever they be, may cause users to quit and nonusers to start. When asked what would be their biggest challenge. The FDA stated that it would be communication. In others words even if they share the information and recommendations with the public, they still need the support of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. They are absolutely sure that hearing from the public and find the best way to carry the mission out . The more they hear from the public, the better they will be able to target what to do to have the greatest effect and success rate. As far as success goes, the FDA has had a fairly good success rate of regulating tobacco products, however the battle is still long and hard.

Can the Tobacco Use Epidemic Be Stopped? This seems to be the million dollar question. All though there may be many good answers, one IOM report developed what they called the plan to end the epidemic with tobacco. They intend to “reduce smoking so substantially that it is no longer a public health problem for our nation.” Among some of their recommendations is that each state fund a comprehensive tobacco control program at the level that was recommended in Best Practices for CDC. The publication was developed to help each state established effective tobacco control programs to prevent and reduce tobacco use. According to a statement made by the best practice committee, “Evidence-based, statewide tobacco control programs that were of a comprehensive nature, and was sustained and accountable