Regulation of Tobacco
While many are applauding the ‘House’, this is the usual political approach of appearing to do something that will accomplish little. Some health groups are happy with the bill but they have not done a good job of analysis.The FDA does not have, and will not have, the manpower to enforce any tobacco rules. There are insufficient staff for the agency to carry out its current responsibilities. The FDA is charged with ensuring that medicines prescribed by doctors are safe for patients. The FDA has never had the authority to approve poisons fort distribution to the public for over the counter sales. This has fallen to Tobacco, Firearms and Alcohol control agencies, where enforcement has the benefit of experience. The FDA does not even have the manpower to monitor the hundreds of over the counter ‘nostrums’ sold under the guise of improving health. This is the wrong agency, given the wrong task.
