SCAI continued its support for a number of advocacy efforts being spearheaded by the public health community to encourage congressional appropriators to maintain strong Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of tobacco products. In a May 23, 2018 coalition letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee, SCAI joined 46 other organizations in urging Senate appropriators to support full funding for the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) and reject a number of policy riders included in the House Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill that would substantially weaken FDA’s authority over certain tobacco products. The following day, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 31-0 in favor of its version of the spending bill, which does not include any of the controversial House policy riders.

Prior to 2009, tobacco products were virtually unregulated even though they were known to be highly addictive and dangerous to health.  Congress, on a bipartisan basis, recognized that tobacco products should be overseen by an agency with expertise in assessing health risks and experience promulgating science-based regulation.  The TCA gave the Center for Tobacco Products at FDA the authority to oversee the manufacturer, marketing, distribution and sale of tobacco products in a manner appropriate for the protection of public health. 

Under the House bill, all “large and premium cigars” would be excluded from FDA oversight despite the agency’s conclusion in 2016 that there is no appropriate public health justification for exempting premium cigars from FDA oversight.  FDA’s scientific review found that all cigars pose serious negative health risks, including about 9,000 premature deaths a year, and that all cigars are potentially addictive.  The House bill also defines “large and premium cigars” so broadly that it could create a loophole that invites tobacco companies to modify their products to qualify for this exemption, including cheap, machine-made, flavored cigars that appeal to youth. 

We encourage SCAI members to reach out to Republican and Democratic Senators on the Appropriations Committee and urge them to support the Senate version of the Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill.