Pallone Commends FDA on Final Tobacco Rule

Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today commended the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for finalizing a tobacco rule that will allow the agency to regulate e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah just as it does cigarettes. This rule comes seven years after passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, which gave FDA authority to regulate cigarettes and certain types of loose tobacco. Pallone was an original co-sponsor of that historic legislation.

“I commend FDA for issuing a final, long overdue rule that will protect Americans from the harmful effects of tobacco. For the first time, FDA will be able to regulate all tobacco products on the market today, including e-cigarettes and cigars, just as it regulates cigarettes. Since tobacco remains one of the leading causes of preventable disease in the U.S, no tobacco product should be exempt from regulation, and today’s rule moves us one step closer to making that a reality.”