Abstract PL05-03: Tobacco-related disparities and the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

With the passage of the June 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory authority over tobacco products, their manufacture, and their distribution and marketing. Since enactment, FDA has already taken significant regulatory actions including banning cigarettes with fruit of candy characterizing flavors; prohibiting the labeling of products with misleading terms such as ‘light,” “low tar,” and “mild;” issuing a broad set of restrictions regarding access to and marketing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to those under 18; and issuing a final regulation requiring graphic health warnings for cigarettes. In addition, The FDA's Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) has addressed the public health effects of menthol in cigarettes, harmful and potentially harmful constituents, and “dissolvables.” Unlike other parts of FDA addressing the safety and efficacy of the products it regulates, the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) bases its actions on a public health standard, i.e., CTP considers the risks and benefits to the population as a whole, including users and nonusers of tobacco products and addressing tobacco-related disparities is integral. For example, the TPSAC menthol report needed to address the impact on use of menthol in cigarettes on the public health, including such use among children, African-Americans, Hispanics, and other racial and ethnic minorities. As the new cigarette graphic health warnings are implemented in September 2012, it will be important to assess impact among several subpopulations such as youth and those with low income. This presentation will provide an overall summary of the Tobacco Control Act, the science needed to implement FDA regulatory actions, and how FDA can address tobacco-related health disparities. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):PL05-03.