Center for Regulatory Effectiveness Informs TPSAC of the Recent Statements of ATF on Contraband Tobacco

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Nov 24, 2010, 09:31 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In its November 18 testimony to TPSAC, CRE stated that ATF had recently published the following statements regarding contraband tobacco:

"contraband cigarettes are more likely to be sold to underage persons than legitimate product."

"The trafficking in counterfeit and contraband tobacco products also poses a serious health risk to our society. There are no standards of production in counterfeit product. This allows for such things as biological or chemical contamination of the product."

"The legislative history of the CCTA and ATF's investigative efforts over the years have established that organized crime has been involved in the diversion of legal tobacco products into the illegal market. Moreover, several investigations by ATF and its law enforcement partners have established links to international terrorist groups, including Hezbollah and al Qaeda."

Cleary these statements on contraband tobacco work directly against a menthol ban. Given the fact that the "hard" science studies on menthol demonstrate that there are no adverse toxicological effects from menthol use and since the "soft" science studies regarding initiation/cessation are not DQA compliant, FDA is moving to resurrect the DQA non-compliant studies by coating them with a transparent veneer of pseudo science aptly applied by eleven "experts" under the able tutelage of a federal government contractor, the Research Triangle Institute Corporation.

Read the CRE testimony http://www.thecre.com/tpsac/?p=777

SOURCE Center for Regulatory Effectiveness