FRIDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) --The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration announced Friday that it will require the tobacco
industry to report on a range of toxic chemical ingredients, and to
also back up any claims for "safer" tobacco products.
Both actions are preliminary at this point, and subject to a
period of public comment.
While there are more than 7,000 chemicals in tobacco and tobacco
smoke, the FDA has a working list of 93 chemicals that cause or may
cause harm to smokers or non-smokers. These include formaldehyde,
nicotine, arsenic, cadmium, ammonia and carbon monoxide. Tobacco
companies will be required to list quantities of 20 different
ingredients associated with cancer, lung disease and other health
problems on consumer-friendly packaging by April 2013.
"For the first time, all tobacco manufacturers will be required to report quantities of potential harmful compounds in every regulated tobacco product they sell in the U.S.," said Dr. Lawrence Deyton, director of FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, during a media briefing. "Tobacco itself contains many chemical compounds, many of which are harmful in raw state but also when smoked."
Exactly how and where this information will be conveyed to the
public is not yet known. "We are doing research on how to best
communicate that information in a consumer-friendly way to the
public," he said.
The second FDA action announced that tobacco companies must back
up any claims they make if they want to market a tobacco product as
"less risky" to health.
"Products can't be marketed as reducing risks unless that claim is supported by science," Deyton said. At this time, this primarily refers to roll-your-own and smokeless tobacco products.
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco
Control Act) gives the FDA the power to regulate certain aspects of
tobacco marketing and manufacturing. The preliminary rules are open
for public comments until June 4, 2012.
More information
Learn more about the
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control
Act at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.