The Tobacco Control Act: Improving Public Health

The Tobacco Control Act was signed into law on June 22, 2009, to safeguard the public’s health and was created to provide a healthier future for every American. It is also known as Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act affords the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to oversee and control the production, distribution, and marketing of tobacco and related products (FDA, n.d). The state passed the bill into law after the health committee in the Senate gave an order to the Senate bill to be reported in favor of amendments on a 15-8 vote on May 20, 2009 (FDA, n.d). Later on, on June 8, 2009, the Senate voted 61-30 in favor of the amended bill where President Obama signed it into law on June 22, 2009.

The law is supposed to improve public health by restricting the sales and marketing of tobacco to the American youth. The law sets up particular limitations to how tobacco is marketed. The FDA can ban tobacco sales to children, sales of vending machines, and packages sales of less than twenty cigarettes. Furthermore, the law can ban free sample cigarette giveaways, non-tobacco brand-name promotional items, and sports sponsorship of tobacco brands and cultural, social, or entertainment events (FDA, n.d). The only exception where the law can fail to improve public health is in adult facilities only.

I agree with the law since youths become susceptible to tobacco use unless restrictions are set up in the commercialization of tobacco. The outcome of such susceptibility is tobacco-related health complications such as stroke, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Unless tobacco use is disassociated with the mentioned health complications, nothing can change with how the law is implemented in the United States.

Reference

Food and Drug Administration. (n.d). Family smoking prevention and tobacco control act – An overview. Web.