How You Can Help Hold Big Tobacco Accountable
Nearly 20 years ago, a U.S. Federal District judge found that the major cigarette manufacturers violated civil racketeering laws for deliberately defrauding the public.
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Candy Flavoring a Deadly Addiction
June 7, 2013
Statement by Blair Horner, vice president of advocacy for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) on legislation, S. 5686, introduced by Senator Patty Ritchie:
You have to hand it to the tobacco companies, they are creative. For decades, they invested heavily in candy and other sweet flavored cigarettes (that’s right, candy flavored tobacco in cigarettes, or a candy flavored wrapper) as a way to entice kids to pick up this deadly addiction. In 2009, Congress passed historic legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate the production, marketing and sales of all tobacco products. Using that authority, the FDA banned the sale of flavored cigarettes.
Now, in order to find ways to continue to market their deadly products to young people, tobacco companies are offering more and more candy and sweet flavored non-cigarette tobacco products. And their new strategy to entice kids seems to be working: over the past few years there has been an increase in the use of these products by New York high school students, despite a decline in cigarette smoking.
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, joined by a wide range of allies including American Academy of Pediatrics, the New York PTAs and the League of Women Voters, released a policy paper detailing the problem of flavored non-cigarette tobacco products in New York. We have urged lawmakers to pass legislation to drastically restrict the availability of these dangerous products. Recognizing the dangers of these products, Senator Patty Ritchie has introduced legislation, S. 5686 to do just that. She knows that smoking rates in Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego counties are about 25 percent, well above the state average.
We applaud her for standing up for the kids of the North Country to prevent them from being targeted by the tobacco companies.
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About the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
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