The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) requires major changes to the manufacturing, sales and marketing of tobacco products. In its short two year history, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has already prohibited the sale of candy-flavored cigarettes; put into place a rule that restricts the sale of tobacco products to kids; and demanded internal tobacco industry research documents about how these deadly products are made and marketed.

On June 21, FDA announced perhaps the most public and noticeable of these changes: new graphic warning labels required for cigarette packs and advertisements. Starting in the fall of 2012, these large, graphic warning labels will appear on the top 50 percent of the front and back of all cigarette packs – replacing the 25 year-old warnings that are ineffective and hidden on the side of packages. You can view the final images FDA selected here.

For the first time, the true dangers caused by using cigarettes will be highlighted with vivid images and hard-hitting messages, including “WARNING: Cigarettes cause fatal lung disease” and “WARNING: Tobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in nonsmokers.”

Along with the health warning message and the graphic image will be 1-800-QUIT-NOW, the nationwide quitline. Smokers who call this number will receive the help they need to successfully quit.

The American Lung Association released a statement, applauding these new warning labels. It can be found here. Click here to read comments submitted to the FDA on its graphic warning labels in January 2011 by the American Lung Association and our partners.

About the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

On June 22, 2009, President Obama signed the Tobacco Control Act into law — giving the FDA authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and sale of tobacco products to protect the public health. Until this historic day, tobacco products were virtually unregulated by the federal government.

The American Lung Association worked for more than 20 years to see this law passed, and is working today to see that it is enforced and the terrible burden caused by tobacco use is reduced.

Resources:

• To learn more about the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, click here.
• Comments Submitted by the Lung Association. The Lung Association has submitted a series of comments to the FDA, which you can read here.
• Press Materials Issued by the Lung Association. To read the most recent statements the American Lung Association has issued about this act, please click here.