Reynolds American Questions FDA Tobacco Regulation
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Reynolds American, parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco
Co., Conwood Co. and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. Inc., is questioning the
government’s ability to take on tobacco as the U.S. House Committee on Energy
and Commerce prepares this week to vote on legislation that would grant the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority over the manufacture and
retailing of tobacco products.
“Congress has criticized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past year
for not ensuring the safety of the nation’s food, prescription drug and medical
device supplies. Senior members of Congress have stated at various times, ‘The
health and safety of the American people is at risk…our food supply becomes more
dangerous all the time…there is a fundamental breakdown for evaluating the
safety of drugs…the FDA is badly broken.’ These sentiments are reflected in
numerous national media stories describing a variety of FDA warnings on and
recalls of food and drugs,” Reynolds American said.
“In addition to elected officials, a scientific advisory panel recently reported
that‘American lives are at risk’ due to the inability of FDA to oversee the
safety of the food, drug and medical device supplies in the United States.
Despite the recognition of the need to address these issues, Congress is focused
on legislation to expand FDA’s responsibilities to include tobacco products with
a new regulatory bureaucracy funded by more than $7 billion in new fees and
taxes,” the company continued.
“This raises the question of congressional priorities: should they be working to
ensure the safety of food, prescription drugs and medical devices, or
considering additional regulations on tobacco products, paid for by billions in
new taxes and fees?” said Tommy J. Payne, executive vice president of public
affairs for Reynolds American Inc.
“The FDA commissioner raised serious concerns with this legislation in testimony
submitted to Congress last fall. The commissioner expressed concern that the
bill may require the agency to divert funds from other programs like the safety
of drugs and food; that it could undermine the public-health role of FDA; that
the public might believe that products ‘approved’ by FDA are safe and that this
will actually encourage individuals to smoke more rather than less; and finally,
that the bill requires the agency to perform functions that are outside of its
expertise,” Payne said.
Payne also questioned the wisdom of adding $7.6 billion in new taxes and fees to
support a huge new bureaucracy in Washington at this time. “A majority of people
want Congress to address the core safety issues FDA is already responsible for,
as well as a range of other issues important to many Americans, like the
economy.”
Payne noted, “The FDA currently spends about $1.68 per year per consumer on food
safety. This bill, if signed into law, would have them spending $10 per year per
consumer on regulating tobacco products.”
In television ads that began running this week, Reynolds American questions the
ability of FDA to implement a vast new regulatory scheme, given its current
responsibilities.
“It is possible to create reasonable tobacco regulation that reduces the harm
caused by tobacco products, provides accurate information to adult tobacco
consumers, encourages development of new generation tobacco products and allows
for legitimate competition,” Payne said. “Unfortunately, the bill being
considered in Congress does not accomplish these goals.”
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