Tobacco Documents Online

Reyno[ds Buifdiog 4fh b Main Street WirtstortS,alettc. NC 27102 Corrtsc,t Qavid B. FbW or AAura P. E&s R.tRT 95-27 Public Rdatfons Public Relations 910-741d654 91Q-741-6g96 Angusi 10, 1995 WtNSTON-SAfBW NG. - R..i. Reynolds Tobacco Co.. tne oMec four ittajor U.S. cigareue n>'dg tedaCdaers, ardC.oyQe 6Ba1hm, Ina today filed suit against the U.S. Food & Dnsg Administratton and Cavid A. Kessler, lY{.D., tAe Wwqrs cotsxnisstonec, askirg the courts to block the fDAs attempt to regulate aS~es. MIe FDu4'Slatto Oto exert iurisdiction o+rer c3gatattea 7s an unpreoe<Se-nted and uniswfclt effort to indend iis regulalory reac~t far bejlond its statutory mandat.e and to usurp the I6;islative authority of Gorgress," said Cttaties A. Blbat, sertivrvice president and general counsel of R.J. Reynoics Tobacco Co. tet me raetate RJRsposition one rnooe tima we don't want kids to snioke. RJR's 'Right Decisio= Right IVoMf sctdVippotethe law programs demonstrate titat education and ectiOrcement of laws preventing the sale of tobaocfl produds to minocs are effective in reducing underage smoking,' said David B. Fishel. senior vioe pnesident of edemai refations for RJR. "StudSes have shown that enforcement of minimum age laws is an effective way to keep cigarectes out of the hands df youth.' 'We were wrt7fitg to extend these programs even further and began gocd-faith negotiations with mecnbers af Coetgcessarectttteada**V-adon in February 1985 to achieve an =ord on voluntary inCustry efEorts to reduce yovtlt aoaess to cigareltes,' Bfud saad. 'Cieady. the FDA's intent to regulate cigarettes indicates theirtroe goal is oontroOnQ adult choices and adult behaviocs -- not youth access to cigarettes. tf they were solely ooncemed about keeping agarettes ocrt of the hands of kids, and the option of doing so without aeating yet another muki-rniRion dottar ' aa'eaucncy -ad more big govemmeni was on tite table, they vrouta have worked with us to agree upon voluntary programs that wo&.' he said Gb CD N NI -rnore- ~ ~ ~

2 "fhe President yesterday called on wfunt he called 'the rncstpowerful private sector in the vorld' to work together to resolve problems facing America's youth ` Frsnel said. Tod<ry's action Is just the reverse - caUirg for mom government intYtssion into private de<xsions.' 'We remain ready and wdlft to develop meaningful guudelictes for the industry that will reduce youth aooess to boiawcoo prodaots - without nequift na'ITons of taxpayer dogars, and adding st,lt more bureaucrats to the OMM& of cucrent FOA smpioyeesi' Fistwf said. 'Reoent polic show that Americans prefier voluntay, rather than reguWtory, oonslraints on the industry- Americans am unhappy witb the FDA's handling of its current responsibilifies, and feet that Dr. Kesstefs plate is mor+e than iuft as is. If regulation of cigarettes is added to the FDA's responsit+lities, Americans understand that the alneady lengthy process of approving dmgs, medical devices and food products could take even longer. They rmdembind ttset ttte taapayer would foot the bil to staff up the FDA even fucther to itandle the new and compkxtask of cagarMe oveisigtyt,' Bl'uQ added. °[his Admitftratiort corKinnes to believe that Big Govemment is better govemment,'fistml said. 'That is nat the message America sent to Washington on November 8. 1994. Congress should take a{tard look at whether expanfing the federal bureaucracy even further, with virtually no soientific support tt+at it wiA reduce youth smoking, is something they want to explain to their constguents back hornG.' 'C"gress has the auttwriRy to expand the jur>sdiction of the FDA to include c9garettes, and for 80 years has refused to do so. This Is a mafter that's rightly handlied by Congress, not b; f regulatory fiat,' BGxt -said. 'Dr. K:essleri>araetf, priorto last November's eleci'wn, said Congress should act on the issue of FDA regulation of the tobacco an&,stry. Today's action by the FDA 61ear1y indicates he has changed his mind .' -For several years, rcgulations implementing the national minimum age- for purchase of tobacoo p.oducts, wiuch RJ. Reynokis endorsed and hNped make iaw, have tanguished in the federal biu+eaucracy.' FislteW said. 'Nfhy have fhose regulations, which give dear signals to state and local entrties to enforce minutuim age cec;uic+ements, not been put fowrard by the AcJmirtsttatiori?; he a.:ked. The suit was filed in the U_S. Dotrid Court fortfie Middle District of North Carof'ina in Greensboro. This district is the onty judiaal district in the United States in v".icri all of the cig,3rette manufactur :r plaintiffs operate a major manufacxuring facility_ In addition. Coyne Seahm. an ad agency, is headquartered in Go,fax, N.C. -arore-

_3- R.J_ Reynolds Tobaccu Co. iras made avaifable free of ajarge two youth no=molcing programs since 1991 and 199Z, re%Pectively. The first, Right Decisions Rigt:t Now, is an in-school curriculum taught to 3_3 million jtetiovu and ntiddle-scttooi studer>ts tttat taaches lfiem how to counteract regative peer prassure to eVedmertwih dpcWes and other irwproprEate behgviom The seoond RJR ixvgram, Support the Law, had made anrailabie 6*akicg rnodafes and "ataWne 9ignage to inore thart 6 0,000 retid establtshr.ier+is nationwide. ~ I