FDA Appoints Highly Qualified Scientific Experts to Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee

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Mar 01, 2010, 11:59 ET

WASHINGTON, March 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today has taken another critical step in implementing its new authority to regulate tobacco products by appointing a group of highly qualified scientists and health professionals to its Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. The panel appointed today includes some of the world's foremost scientific authorities on tobacco products and marketing. They offer exactly the broad scientific expertise and strong commitment to public health needed to help the FDA succeed in reducing the death and disease caused by tobacco use. The Scientific Advisory Committee will provide advice, information and recommendations to the FDA on a wide range of tobacco-related issues.

With the appointment of the Scientific Advisory Committee, the FDA continues to move quickly and aggressively to exercise its new authority to regulate tobacco products, including the Congressional mandate to examine and develop recommendations with regard to menthol. President Obama last June signed into law the historic legislation giving the FDA this authority. The FDA's rapid action indicates a strong commitment by the Obama Administration and the FDA to seize the historic opportunity presented by the new law to significantly reduce tobacco use, the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. Tobacco use kills more than 400,000 Americans every year and costs the nation $96 billion annually in health care bills.

The roster of Scientific Advisory Committee members appointed today can be found at:

http://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/TobaccoProductsScientificAdvisoryCommittee/ucm180906.htm.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids