FDA Takes Major New Action to Protect the Public's Health

In what it is calling an action "to ensure the protection of the nation's public health," the FDA has announced taking an "important step" that shows its commitment "to making sure that all tobacco products that are sold and distributed to the public meet the requirements of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act)." According to the FDA, this bold new action is necessary because: "Ensuring compliance with the law is critical to FDA’s mission to protect public health."

To emphasize: "Today’s announcement is an important step for the FDA as we continue to review new product applications, make science-based decisions, and take enforcement actions to ensure the protection of the nation’s public health."

The Rest of the Story

Before reading on, readers may wish to take this short quiz to test their knowledge of this most eventful announcement by the FDA in support of its mission to protect the nation's public health:

Which of the following historic, first-time ever, unprecedented actions did the FDA take in order to ensure its protection of the nation's public health from the hazards of cigarette smoking?

A. Announced a ban on menthol flavorings in all cigarettes.
B. Announced a gradual reduction in nicotine levels in cigarettes to non-addictive levels.
C. Announced an increase in the legal purchase age for cigarettes from 18 to 21.
D. Announced a ten-year, $500 million per year anti-smoking advertising campaign that focuses on directly countering cigarette advertising.
E. Announced regulations on electronic cigarettes that carve out a special regulatory category for these products that encourages e-cigarette use over tobacco cigarette use.
F. Took four brands of bidis off the market because the company did not identify eligible predicate tobacco products.

If you guessed F, then sadly, you are quite correct.

The big, historic, evidence-based, unprecedented, bold new action taken by the FDA that it boasts is going to help ensure the protection of the nation's public health is to take four bidis off the market.

Wow! That is truly a life-saving announcement.

Thank God that we can count on the FDA to make sure that the cigarettes sold in this country are safe. God forbid that Sutra Bidis Red had been allowed onto the market. Who knows the death and destruction they would have wrought on the American people compared to the approved products, like Marlboro Kings, Camel Lights, and Newport Golds?

What a great move it was of our Congress and the national anti-smoking groups to entrust the FDA with the protection of the safety of the cigarette market. We can rest assured knowing that the safety of our Marlboros, Camels, Newports, Parliaments, and Virginia Slims is not tainted by new and untested brands like Sutra Bidis Menthol. We can sleep more soundly at night, knowing that when our children try cigarettes, they'll try safe and approved brands like Marlboro, Camel, and Newport, rather than Sutra Bidis. And it will bring us all a measure of comfort knowing that when smokers die in the future, it will be due to the known hazards of products like the approved Newports, Kools, and Winstons, rather than the substantially non-equivalent Sutra Bidis Menthol Cone.

The FDA is truly looking out for the nations' health.