Ten Years Later Tobacco To Get More Regulation


At $600M a year, fees Big Tobacco will pay the Federal Government, the result will be more federal oversight, a separate center of the FDA with scientific and regulatory control, which will work toward making cigarettes less harmful and a reduction in the number of people who smoke.

There are quite a few camps of thought on the ten year old legislation that is soon to become law.

One supports the regulatory route giving the FDA unprecedented control over access to cigarettes and regulatory control over the products and advertising.

Others believe that the FDA is incapable of handling tobacco regulations and cite the agency's failure to address oversight on core functions such as food safety.

Than there are those who abhor anti-government control over businesses, they shouldn't grab for a Kleenex yet.

Whilst PMI is ready to take a hit to U.S. sales they have a business plan to jump-up global sales before U.S. restrictions take hold.

The newly formed Phillip Morris International (PMI) has launched seven new varieties of Marlboro alone to a growing European market.

With 129 lawsuits and a pariah image in the U.S., Phillip Morris has relocated its operations to Switzerland and is targeting countries with no regulations, like Indonesia.

Teenagers there sell cigarettes from vending carts along with sugary soda drinks and gum.

The CEO of PMI doesn't allow his own children to smoke. Yet, PMI targets sporting events and rock concerts to sell cigarettes to Indonesian youth.

Pressure anew has come from a twenty-four year old Indonesian activist who says that PMI has infused cigarette marketing with youthful themes and gone back on their word.

There are others who have not forgotten the old Phillip Morris and know that PMI is repeating their same old marketing strategies in new growing markets, targeting youth and impacting public health.

This new U.S. legislation is far from perfect. Would you believe while it orders the FDA to regulate, it withholds the power to ban menthol, the one brand most people smoke and it makes it really hard for people to sell less hazardous cigarettes.

Okay, now anti-regulation nuts can just throw the Kleenex away.

Philip Morris' partner and political cover, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit organization, helped craft the legislation.

Back when Phillip Morris was facing a $264M settlement and a lawsuit from 46 state attorney generals, they formed "Project Sunrise," which was an effort to craft the regulations.

Thus, there was a legislative compromise.

The bill denies the FDA the ability to require nicotine, the main addictive agent in cigarettes, to be eliminated and does not eliminate the menthol brand.

The National African American Tobacco Prevention Network released a statement on the bill saying, "Tobacco legislation that treats menthol differently from other flavoring additives is incomplete." This is in response to studies showing that menthol is far more addictive then other cigarettes and far harder to quit, no matter what race the smoker is."

Ironically many health groups are standing with Philip Morris in lobbying for the legislation, though some smaller companies oppose it.

The bill would make it difficult, if not impossible, for "tobacco manufacturers to develop and introduce products that have the potential to reduce the risk of tobacco usage."

So, as usual, what we don't always condone, we don't always say no to. Or it's never really clear, just like the label on the package.

Field of Partisans in Centrist Times

The field of candidates hoping to replace Pawlenty will need to seek their party's endorsement. Whoever they are, they are going to be caught between the ideological bent of their endorsing party and a considerably more centrist public tired of partisan bickering.

Would an Independent win in this anti-partisan climate? State Senator Terry Bonoff says both sides have "clear-the-field candidates." But, would they get endorsed?

Republicans are looking to balance the current Democratic tilt in the Minnesota Legislature, but it would seem Pawlenty did that with his Veto pen.

The novelty would be Ramstad running as an Independent. Would he get votes from the conservative Minnesota Republicans?

Right now the Legislature, big-city mayoral offices and the state's congressional delegation are all dominated by Democrats.

The state Republican pickings are pretty thin, according to Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College.

The Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidates begin with former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton to former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, who has already run one statewide campaign, to Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, so far the only woman to officially announce her candidacy.

Others, include House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, are all said to be weighing entry into the race.

Schier said in Twin Cities.com that "the GOP base active in party politics is more conservative than the state as a whole, and thus the endorsement process is "not reliably likely to produce a candidate who is electable statewide. "

Though it might be the Democrats' race to lose, at least one Democratic candidate warned against ruling out Republicans, pointing out that Democrats haven't won a governor's race since 1986.

Pawlenty painted a grim picture of DFLers controlling both the Legislature and the governor's office. But, if lawmakers proceed in 2010 to eliminate gubernatorial powers, a Republican Governor would be less able to overturn the tide of control.

In the meantime Pawlenty is getting ready to make $2.7B in spending cuts by July. Cities and organizations affected by the cuts are looking at the state statutes and a possible legal action against the Governor for abuse of power.

If there is a law-suit against Pawlenty, in what many deem as an unprecedented use of the process, it might impede the success of Republican candidates running in 2010.

It's ironic that after the session ended Pawlenty sought the suggestions of the public, who in fact, pay the salaries of all those legislators, Republican and Democrat alike, to make decisions on our behalf, Republican and Democrat, alike.

The message from Pawlenty was that the legislature ended on time and would not go into a special session. But the end result is that we paid our representatives to get the people's business done and that didn't happen.

PrairieHOMEliving's PHL Politico Blog- Post news and opinions.


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