Advocacy

Our organizations have been directly involved in the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) – from serving on the frontlines, to working with policymakers to make evidence-based decisions, and to collecting and sharing data. We are deeply concerned about increasing reports of resistance to evidence-based public health messages and threats to public health leaders and agencies. [More]

In light of the skyrocketing youth e-cigarette epidemic, and concerns that smoking and vaping may increase the risk of severe complications from COVID-19, it is more critical than ever that new tobacco products be subject to statutorily-required public health review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that products for which timely and complete [More]

The proposed rule is designed to inform tobacco product manufacturers and the public about requirements for submission of Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (“PMTAs”), related recordkeeping requirements, requirements for post-market information gathering and reporting, and the process FDA will use in the evaluation of PMTAs. SUMMARY OF MAJOR POINTS 1. FDA should recognize that for the [More]

ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT’S SEPTEMBER DECISION TO REMOVE FLAVORED E-CIGARETTES FROM THE MARKET Now is the time to act and protect the health of our children November 18, 2019 – We write to express our strong, unified support for President Trump’s proposal, made on September 11, 2019, to swiftly remove all non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, including mint [More]

Dear Mrs. Trump: We want to express our sincere appreciation for the leadership you have provided in highlighting the youth e-cigarette epidemic, meeting with youth who have been impacted by this crisis and championing the bold action to reverse the epidemic that was announced by the Administration on September 11, 2019. Our organizations strongly support [More]

Excerpt: We write in support of prohibiting menthol cigarettes, which is a key part of the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act (H.R. 2339). There is overwhelming scientific evidence that menthol cigarettes have had a profound adverse effect on public health. Removing them from the market would drive down tobacco use and the death and [More]

Excerpt: The undersigned public health and medical organizations submit these comments in response to the request for comments on FDA’s proposed rule to establish new required health warnings for cigarette packages and advertisements, “Tobacco Products; Required Warnings for Cigarette Packages and Advertisements,” 84 Fed. Reg. 42754 (August 16, 2019) (proposed rule). It has been over [More]

Excerpt: We are writing to express our strong support for raising the legal age for sale of tobacco products to 21 and to share our views on two bipartisan bills recently introduced in the Senate. We commend Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Todd Young (R-IN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Mitt Romney (R-UT) for introducing the Tobacco [More]

Excerpt: We are writing to express our strong support for the Tobacco to 21 Act (H.R. 2411) and the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act (H.R. 2339), both of which would raise the legal age for sale of tobacco products to 21. Raising the tobacco sale age to 21 is an important part of a [More]

Excerpt: We are writing to express our strong support for H.R. 2339, the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019. Your legislation will address the current youth e-cigarette epidemic that is threatening to undermine the progress that has been made in reducing youth cigarette use and also reduce youth use of other tobacco products. [More]

Excerpt: The undersigned organizations submit these comments in the above referenced Docket on the Draft Guidance for Industry on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed Modifications to its Compliance Policy for Certain Deemed Products, issued in March 2019 (Draft Guidance). The Draft Guidance can be a step forward if it reduces youth access to [More]

Excerpt: As your Subcommittee moves forward with the FY 2020 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we urge you to approve the authorized level of user fees for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to oversee tobacco products. These user fees will give FDA the resources it needs to [More]

Excerpt: As your Subcommittee moves forward with the FY 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we urge you to increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) by $100 million, for a total of $310 million. This increase is needed [More]

February 11, 2019 Randi Frank Office on Smoking and Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Mail Stop S107-7 Atlanta, GA 30341 Re: Request for Information on Advancing Tobacco Control Practices to Prevent Initiation of Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults, Eliminate Exposure to Secondhand Smoke, and Identify and Eliminate Tobacco-Related [More]

Excerpt: We are pleased to submit these comments in the above-designated docket. Our organizations are nonprofit public health and medical organizations which are actively engaged in efforts to eliminate the disease and death caused by the use of tobacco products in the United States and throughout the world. As you prepare to negotiate a free [More]

Excerpt: As you proceed to conference on H.R. 6147, which includes the FY 2019 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we urge you to reject all tobacco riders, including the one in the House Agriculture-FDA Appropriations bill that would weaken FDA oversight of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and cigars. [More]

Excerpt: In this ANPRM, FDA established important parameters limiting its inquiry regarding the regulation of premium cigars. By its plain terms, this ANPRM is not for the purpose of reconsidering the agency’s judgment that, based on the information available and in the administrative record at the time of the final Deeming Rule, there is no [More]

Excerpt: When Congress enacted the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act or TCA), it prohibited the use of characterizing flavors, other than menthol, in cigarettes because Congress concluded that flavors in cigarettes made the products appealing to adolescents. The TCA also directed FDA to consider the need for a prohibition on [More]

Excerpt: The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has published and sought comments on a draft paper entitled Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products after Implementation of an FDA Product Standard. The document addresses the potential for development of an illicit market as a result of a number of different potential product standards, including but not limited [More]