Tobacco Documents Online

+ t i . TO t.+ la-:., i.es .t 1! .1_]. 1 i.f+F i'; he\t +\'fi +.•Yti i .. f -- ~ _ i'U ;fi.i; E3L:.U1{f fi.Ri'1±:I: -- -\ - __ - - - }.A( .LIt+fFift.il4Of $nA:.fl1 - f.sSf~1(:li.te-Scii'iit-ii==iC Nrector for rrC'iram D!.T[::- vunlldry-4 f 1973, QDivision of l,i:ncC-r- Cz1.)1Q!' and Previ:nc.ioa3 N(..I ;Sspecia'i ASsi-Sta~?t = _ dCf i~~.' of tl'ie ~ii'cytor, l'iC_ SUMEcr: Federal Legis: atios, to Lirlli i;- f;aximu;n Levels ni Tar and Nicotine i n Ci gal-eues - This is in --res_r.ons-!? to the clun s-tio.r,s 3~ou, rja isej re-garding apro- posal to Feccc:r.lTy c=orti-ol le°:els of ;.ar and-niccf•cire in cir.arettcs. - Wh--t follo~:s 2' re: E1y° a draft ba~ed on ;nfcrf~a#io~: I bave- ueen able - to gather in the nasfi ti:d davd.- The- ir;,iortar^e of' the subject, oould, of course, deimard fur_tfhar l2gal re,earcr.= Que ztiC'I"i rI-DoeS i R'J F€.'d2ral arte.flr`! Cilrr ertrtl `i DorsCsS the a:!'i.!1.Or i ty +..0 ~Et ~nu f'ni€71'_- e'~Y°_-=i"i. 1.:.` L; i~r o " ie~l215 vl if~aF.o i.i iie -tijn i in ~ l.r-a~ajLt•l,'.-.17s: -' - - .. - the Public Neal th Cicarette Snl-ohing Act of 1J60 do i,,.,t give the Federa? Trade Col:I.qissio3l the authority to set or enforce staf::i2i`Gs Co^cerning amounts of tar and nicotine in-cigarette products. fl-lo:•rever, in 1971, - Senator t'oss did GtteMat to a,Teild the Lauelll;g and t,,2`lertis3ria ;.ct by intrad;:c-ing S.1=+5°1 to reauir e the FTC to--establ is^ acceptable --- levels of tar and nicotine cont_nt. 'rieUrings 1,,2re 'held on this bill before the ConsVIMer -Subc;:,>:ni ttee of the Senate Ce.r::erce Cor.ai Ltee on February 1, 3, and 10, 1972 bat the bi l l;'ras never-reported out. products from bei ng cl assed as consu<<.er- products Umder -the Pur`vi ew cf that Act. Also, t'r,e Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965 and It does not appear tl,at any F; ueral ae~enc yency has suCit ar:n au yhori ty at {rllI s Lir.:-2 . The F(io\i_ ar(~ UtUq has t:.a leGiJlar-i,%e- - authol'it-1"cS ill3icl~, J!: t1i0 ;ppFar l,'h Ijo'lilt.: 19-ahe Federcll 1iaia't°dCf.•s Substar~~S ;-Ct aI`dt`ld COnSu;~,i,' PrOd;CtS S ` fety C="11SS1()'l Art Vr :at+.r- r. ff:Cn nf ^n .-,nra~ (`..~;ncC, l 'nac an tnn %finl.f t1.at . . .. ._ , .._.. .. _~.. . . tobacco was no-t en,', i S ionc:~ as a hc~~ar~~~'u'S suJt tai'Ce b.:1Cn t!ie i o:`i::dr Act was Ra3. Od. The 1 w t-tCr Act SCec i f i Ca 113 ' EXC i GdCS _ LG7s.CCO: and ;:cba^.cv .. .

Director for Pr~egrum- .,, uest ion n! 1`411 ct le4_iSle' 4i oEi i•:C=tfld b:? nCCC$Sat_rv to enrlb if3 a FCdera I - :i1Lncy to i'C'T:1 ! s LC 1 e•fe 1 3 f)1 ter iaf7;a ~I-; i Co 1, 1 n:`: i n c_i •'eLt+'S ? -hazaro to pu: i i c r,eal th. i here fore, reducti on ~ in tne°~~ levels- should dir~~i~i~;~,- not reamw2s- the == _-_ danget's s:~sesC'CidtC-1t~.-11"lt11 SMatii-ng. o prior to establ is~:i~q a Oi:~en leve :, the FTU shoul:: be- recjui red t6- ccrisul t~r i ih the Secretary, wi th respect to the heaith impl-ications-of ti!e nj,::l level-. o a penaltv- Drovis ion for violatior, of the statute, (Represen;i_,tiv;~; o; ti;e t;C s.ig~est tflat ~ri_o iation 'voF:.~iC~N~~ :riC~N~~:r -a`4`r:il4.£~..i'l.! ~Y= .?.C~s{ l il:~ ~ - ~!d i`e-~ ~'a - rcduCtion that the 1ievel r;ouict ef1`ect in ti- e = n:C oLt iHII 2 levels ;ust C- ; ei-=l"c~im abaluF=Ec-in,, of incriminated a,~r[ts. ' Any rcduction in tar and- cons-i_der ed. The modific-ationv should include: 0 mention should be mnhe ~ in tf n 'a`',e ~_~ ~_ ' -G-re - ! ~~ F-°r ..i•ait tf~ ~~l'C. preSently no safe lC?e'el3 oi t,-(a', n, Cotl;ie (:I'IU'_otlier Fi`rst, legislatiorn of ;.his I;ind would be necessUry. Seconr'-, S.14g4- (a'~taChed ) it~tro'iuce_~ b'~ Sendtor-~•~~?, s?,s ~•Jou ld uc_ Cc-:•1D1 i sh _t^? S ul:rCose. H o;:evE r , S-o[:".a itr:'ort~~n t r '° ! r t r~_ !Se .i ~ .~~F ca~io:Fs o 1~~ t`c _ bill slTouie be of this lut•r shculd be d;-clarr.d an unrair trade practice in violation ef Section 5 or the Federal Trade Co~::mi ssion Act. ) 4 Questi on -3: E•!l3i ch Federal aoenc~f vrould be the most appropri ate agency to pro <<la3te and enforce suCn szandu,-os', In my opjnion-, °authority for carrying out responsibil ities of this sort should- be vested ei t.";:r i n an organ- of the Food and Drug F,dm i;4i str ati on (or wi th i rr the next few mdntsls, Tore accurate ly, t;ie ( i ndependent ) Consumer Products Safety Co.,iiiissidn) or the Federal Trade Co;miission who has alread; been given r espons ibi i i ~ies to carry o!it the two previous laws rel~~ti ng to cigarettes and snaoki ng-. At first glance, the FDA's Bureau of Consumer Prcducts, soon to becc:-,-,e an independent reoulaeory cor,;iissicn, would scem to be- zhe most appropriate agency to set ar•d enforce maxir.:m levcts of tar and nicotine in cigarettes. Currently, ho;:ever, tobacco an~~ toi:~acLo pi=o:~ucts are specifically excluded ~ om r t le ~%.v'^ntu!•.;er Product Sa`~'~ ..t}/ Act .. ^!` 1972. TThe I'.t 'n .t de i 1 neS _CbnSuf:er product to mean "any article, or component part thereof, produced- - cc e

- Associate Scientific Director for Program 40 or- distributed ;i) for s31e to a-crrnsu=r.nr for ~!s~ i~ or ar oL;nd ~ pewrranent or tC''~:p~~ra!';% ~it7usC~eJ I(~ i1'~-`- .°Csid_r~'i;, z ChoGl i n ~ e.rda L3 Gnf or Gt~~`~; i s' . • ~~ r u," CGna~L + il t-I i l~ ~r•n ` c or i i~ ~- f~,° tF,~ ~e sor:al ; P cr enj;~~~.• rct o:- a con~u~er in or- 'around a pet'ma>=1Cllt or te1 :Or-ary houleiio1Cs- or resi-Grei1CC,-- a- school , in- re-creatior . or=-otficrwi se; - b, ~t such terni does not -incl ude- _ _ -. .. (D ) toyuicco and tobacco pr-acru-cts.= - As an a! i;.-rnativ-e ti,e ,~-esaonsibi l ity° co:.rld- be given to tla~ FTC--the E•loss e~~„ _a'l . C°~^a.r~ ~ttc Lab,1jn ~ g ~_;~.d ~a~i:-Lr~ ~ s~ngF ~s~ng Act, for lic'~ t;:e _F it has respors i:b;1 i tv a 3 r'eady: Ti;e FTC C a1 reGc~~ r%^gus arly- :i e-~.crimin esz- ta r a nd ni.CGti nC -cGn=i.,--, n # or- d Gmes'' i C' s i QarC i.teSaf~d l'!e^.•Eld oe the '~aJp1~G=o;' i? t-- -aGt:~'lii.`f to u- tcCr••~cin_ e; `•C_~`t~s o~ ~- :.i~(~~e 'o.• ~"u`c~ . {_~~ ~ ~~ ~ sales f[ILri:e t.-_-= f~G;iei~f'1',- ~.~ib- i~i idC.r.'s not have the - _iTCressury researCll f~GilitiE'~1 r'Ed'Cwl ol` SC'e~ti~ic ;~;Ci-- it~~~uS`-~~ for the m_d=ical and- sc i enti.f;if judgments -ccntemPl-ated_ by such proposed 1e~';slation. ~'rEopc you find the foregoing n.attrial_-respon_s_ivt t- your guesti;,ns= i perscr,al'iy feel I have ,Y-ust "scr:tcf-ied su-rface" in this area. en doing so S•rC' havC- fC~llr ^-stn_-~F - c'i, tha -R`~s,,,- FT-C anu Sm---~'ki-ifo =-C°ln~,'.rinn'ho:isC to be e:e trC-.l?2ly nCl pi.,! . an e.d:ii t i:'i 'YG .'','t!~` Cbnilersati o n5 tiles e st1 f-; s have forw:,recd to me so;:-,e use-f!t1 d;,cwnents such as : The Senate -Hearinjs on S.1454 tincludinJ ovt=r-700 pagvs of exi.i ai ts } . - .. ~ ~._ "The t:ational. Clearinghouse for S:r:eking and Health Policy or•Program jssue Analysis" (dated August. 23, 19 71) -- ::Smokin-r, and fealih'° (a ::-10 puGl ication, dated 1-9?'0, by C.M. Fletcher and D. Horn)- If IL can bL of 'further ass istance, -I am, of course, available to you or your co~~mittee. , _ - Harold J. Leigh