Identical bills in the House of Representatives and the Senate would grant the FDA the same authority over tobacco that it has over drugs, medical devices and many foods.

According to HealthDay, The bill would allow the agency, which has come under fire in recent years for its monitoring of the drug industry, to regulate the levels of tar, nicotine and other harmful ingredients in cigarettes and smoke. That smoke contains some 4,000 chemicals, more than 40 of which are known to cause cancer.

The bill is supposed to strengthen a ban against tobacco advertising and big tobaccos use of misleading words such as "light" and "low tar." More than 436,000 people in America alone die from tobacco use.

"I think the bill is strong, it has the potential to bring about the most fundamental changes in how tobacco products are manufactured and marketed that we have ever seen," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "The bill could provide the FDA authority that could save millions of lives."

I am not sure I trust that the FDA can regulate such a crucial industry. The FDA is currently undermanned and has had a hard enough time dealing with the pharmaceutical industry. With cases like Vioxx still popping up, the FDA should figure out how to better regulate the pharmaceutical industry before taking over one who claims more than 436,000 American lives a year.

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