Senator Mike Johanns voted today in favor of curbing tobacco advertising as well as youth access to tobacco products. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act would authorize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate tobacco products under a new public health standard. Senator Johanns also voted for an alternative amendment that would have put tobacco regulation under the broader umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services and further focused on curbing youth smoking, however this amendment did not pass.
"Tobacco is a dangerous product. We must not tread lightly when confronting its effects on the health of millions of Americans, especially our youth," Johanns said. "As a former smoker, I can say from experience that tobacco products and the marketing designed to encourage our younger population to smoke is something that we should aggressively address."