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Select Public Policy
Altria Group and each of its operating companies work with governments and regulatory bodies to find meaningful solutions to public policy issues that affect our businesses, their employees and business partners, as well as Altria shareholders and other stakeholders. We approach and conduct our work on public policy issues with a spirit of cooperation and collaboration. Federal Regulation of Tobacco
Altria Group, Inc. has supported legislation that would provide for tough but reasonable federal regulation of tobacco products by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for more than eight years. Altria Group and its tobacco operating companies (Philip Morris USA Inc., U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC and John Middleton Co.) believe this comprehensive national regulatory framework, implemented thoughtfully, can provide significant benefits to adult consumers by, among other things:
- Establishing a common set of high standards for all tobacco manufacturers and importers doing business in the U.S.;
- Providing a framework for the evaluation of tobacco products that are potentially less harmful than conventional cigarettes;
- Creating clear principles for accurate and scientifically grounded communication about tobacco products to adult consumers.
Specifically, Altria Group and its tobacco operating companies supported H.R. 1256, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on June 22, 2009. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act is the result of years of work and discussion among many stakeholders. It establishes a regulatory structure and standards for the manufacturing and marketing of all tobacco products that should provide important benefits for consumers. Key legislative provisions include:
- A national minimum age of 18 to purchase tobacco products and required age verification for anyone younger than 27 years old;
- A ban on the sale of cigarette flavor varieties other than tobacco and menthol;
- A ban on product descriptors such as "light," "ultra-light," and "low tar" (unless expressly authorized by the FDA);
- Mandatory full disclosure to the FDA of ingredients added to tobacco products;
- Changes to the language of the current cigarette and smokeless tobacco product health warnings, including enlarging their size;
- Mandatory graphic warnings for cigarette packages to be developed by the FDA;
- Authority for the FDA to require new warnings in the future;
- Authority for the FDA to mandate changes in the design of tobacco products to protect the public health, including the authority to regulate nicotine yields and to reduce or eliminate harmful smoke constituents or harmful components of tobacco products;
- Authority for the FDA to require ingredient testing and to remove harmful ingredients if supported by sound scientific evidence;
- Authority for the FDA to do more to prevent minors from using tobacco products;
- Authority for the FDA to establish standards for products that could potentially reduce the harm caused by tobacco products and to define the appropriate ways to communicate about these products;
- Authority for the FDA to establish good manufacturing practices for the tobacco manufacturing process; and
- Recognition that any advertising and promotion restrictions, including those in the bill and those required or authorized to be promulgated under the bill, must pass muster under the First Amendment.
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act as enacted is not perfect and contains provisions with which we have First Amendment concerns. On balance, however, we believe it represents an important opportunity to establish a comprehensive and coherent national tobacco policy.
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