CNBC Segment on Proposed FDA Legislation

Click here to watch the CNBC segment, aired last night, on the proposed FDA legislation, in which I was interviewed.

This is important coverage of the issue, because it raises the critical question of whether giving an FDA stamp of approval to cigarettes will undermine the public's appreciation of the hazards of smoking, and the safety of the particular cigarettes that are being marketed.

Apparently, the bill's sponsors believe that I am correct, as they have stated such in the preamble to the bill and have inserted language to prevent tobacco companies from telling the public not only that the FDA has approved cigarettes, but that FDA regulates cigarettes in the first place. Unfortunately, this clause is unconstitutional and will never hold up in court. Moreover, the public is going to find out that cigarettes are being approved for sale by the FDA, whether the tobacco companies tell them or not.