Washington
, D.C.
, June 12, 2009
– “With today’s House passage of the long-awaited legislation that will give the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products, our nation has finally turned the corner.
“After decades of allowing tobacco companies to market their deadly products to our children and deceive consumers about the harm their products cause, our nation has finally chosen to place public health above profit. With about 443,000 deaths each year in the United States attributable to tobacco use, today’s legislation is a monumental achievement that the public health community has waited years to celebrate.
“For more than 50 years APHA has recognized the threat posed by tobacco and fought to limit its use. We look forward to President Obama signing the bill into law and commit ourselves to continuing to protect the health of our nation from the harm of tobacco.”