April 02, 2009 11:12 PM UTC

Tobacco Regulation or: Lettuce But Not Cigarettes?

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• by: redstateblues

From the New York Times:

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives passed legislation by a wide margin on Thursday to give the Food and Drug Administration sweeping new powers over tobacco products, which kill an estimated 400,000 Americans each year [rsb emphasis].

Despite the 298-to-112 House vote, though, a closer battle is likely in the Senate between public health advocates and some tobacco industry supporters. Senator Richard M. Burr, Republican of North Carolina, the nation’s leading tobacco producing state, has threatened a filibuster.

Naturally the Republicans will always try to obstruct any attempts by the government to control one of the most dangerous and costly products on the market today. Of course, they’re just taking orders from Big Tobacco, right? Well, sort of.

And while the cigarette leader Philip Morris supports the legislation [rsb emphasis], other big tobacco companies oppose it.

So even the largest tobacco company in the country is supporting tough regulation of its business. The rest of the industry, along with their southern Republican allies, is going to do everything they can to stall this attempt.

Leading the charge on this from the Colorado delegation is Rep. Jared Polis, who takes the matter of holding tobacco companies more accountable for their products very personally because of a family tragedy. He also points out the stupidity of regulating a harmless product like lettuce, but not cigarettes–a product that is well known to kill those who consume them.

Jared Polis, Democrat of Colorado, said during the House debate: “Tobacco use is the single largest cause of preventable death in our country. Yet it continues to receive less regulation than a head of lettuce.”

Mr. Polis was one of several members who shared personal stories. His partner’s mother died of cancer two years ago. “It was very painful,” he said, “and of course, her wish in her dying breath was that she never started smoking.”

This is important for the health of our country, and as a current smoker who hopes to quit eventually, I must say I’m all for it. Just like Jared says: lettuce but not cigarettes? It just doesn’t make any sense.

(Cross posted at Square State)