It’s been ten years since the FDA was given the mandate from Congress to fully regulate the tobacco industry and tasked with the critical responsibility of protecting the health of our nation. And still, the FDA has not fulfilled its mission to reduce the deadly toll of tobacco use.

Monday, June 22 marks six years since the president signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law, giving the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products for the first time.

Last April, ACS CAN and its public health partners called on the FDA to finalize its regulation within one year. Now that the FDA has missed that deadline, ACS CAN together with 29 public health partners have sent a letter to President Obama asking for swift action to finalize that regulation.

Five years ago this week, we celebrated a landmark public health victory as the president signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law.