ABC News’ Z. Byron Wolf and Brian Hartman report: The writing is on the wall – even North Carolina has a smoking ban.
And now Congress wants in on the action. The Senate is poised, after more than a decade of attempts, to pass legislation that would regulate tobacco in the same way the government regulates everything else you put in your body – from Froot Loops to Aspirin.
If you want to compare the ingredients in your breakfast cereal to the ingredients in your cigarettes, you may soon be able to.
Senators voted 84 to 11 this morning to break a filibuster and consider the legislation.
If passed by the Senate as expected, the bill would give the federal government the power to regulate cigarette ingredients, to ban the marketing of “light cigarettes” and to require graphic warning labels.
Most of the tobacco industry has opposed the bill with the notable exception of the giant Altria, which is taking an “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” approach. (Some complain they’ve managed to water down the bill.)
Meanwhile, Big Tobacco has been readying itself for a tougher US regulatory environment by expanding its overseas marketing and developing new smokeless products.
A similar bill already has passed the House. So Senate endorsement of increased tobacco regulation would be a big deal.
And it’s worth noting the nation is now headed by a (supposedly) ex-smoking president.
“We have tried for ten years and we have failed,” said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-CT, in a speech on the Senate floor opening debate on the bill. “Think what kind of a difference we could have made. How many lives we would have saved if we passed this ten years ago.”
A final vote could come later this week. Whatever passes the Senate would still have to pass the House, which has already passed a different version of the bill.
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