| ***facts*** | for Consumers |
|-------------|---------------|

----

**Federal Trade Commission -November 1992**

----

Tobacco Products ***fast facts***

| - The Federal Trade Commission has jurisdiction to                enforce laws against false and deceptive                advertising, including advertising for tobacco                products.     
- Federal law requires health warning labels to                appear on cigarette and smokeless tobacco                packages, and in most related advertising.     
- Smokeless tobacco products such as chewing                tobacco, moist snuff, and plug tobacco are used                orally.     
- Advertisements for cigarettes, little cigars, and                smokeless tobacco products are banned from radio                and television. |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| Bureau of Consumer Protection Office        of Consumer & Business Education        (202) 326-3650 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hasjurisdiction to enforce laws against false and deceptiveadvertising, including advertising for tobacco products. The FTCalso has responsibility under various federal laws to insure theproper display of health warnings in advertising and on packagingof tobacco products sold in the United States. Further, theagency collects and reports to Congress information concerningcigarette and smokeless tobacco advertising, sales expenditures,and the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide content of cigarettes.This brochure provides an overview of tobacco-product laws andexplains the FTC's role in enforcement. 

### Warning Labels and Advertising for Cigarettes

The Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act wasdesigned to make Americans more aware of the adverse healtheffects of smoking. As enacted in 1965, the law required healthwarnings only on cigarette packages. In 1984, the law was amendedto require that one of the four warning labels listed belowappears in a specific format on cigarette packages and in mostrelated advertising. * SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And MayComplicate Pregnancy. * SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to YourHealth. * SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, PrematureBirth, and Low Birth Weight. * SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide. There are a few exceptions in the Federal law on tobaccoadvertising and labeling: * Health warning labels on outdoor-billboard advertisements areallowed to be somewhat abbreviated from those appearing innewspaper, magazine, and product packaging. * Warning labels are not required on specialty advertising items(such as pens, pencils, clothing, and sporting goods) that carrycigarette company logos, brand names, or other promotionalmessages. These items must bear warning labels, however, if theypromote smokeless tobacco products. * Warning labels are not required for cigars, pipe tobacco, androll-your-own cigarette tobacco. 

### Warning Labels and Advertising for Smokeless Tobacco Products

The FTC also enforces regulations that require health warningsto appear on all packaging and in advertising for smokelesstobacco products. These requirements are authorized under theComprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986,enforced jointly by the FTC and the Department of Justice.Smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco, moist snuff,and plug tobacco are used orally. The Act requires manufacturers,packagers, and importers to place one of the following warninglabels on smokeless tobacco packages. * WARNING: THIS PRODUCT MAY CAUSE MOUTH CANCER * WARNING: THIS PRODUCT MAY CAUSE GUM DISEASE AND TOOTH LOSS * WARNING: THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO CIGARETTES The Act requires that the respective warnings be placed in acircle and arrow format on all forms of advertisements exceptbillboards. The FTC has issued regulations to determine the sizeand format of the health warning in relation to the size of thepackage. 

### FTC Responsibilities for the Cigarette and Smokeless TobaccoActs

The Cigarette Act and the Smokeless Tobacco Act requiremanufacturers and importers to submit a packaging and advertisingplan for FTC approval. The plan must provide for appropriatelabel rotation on packages and in advertising for each brand ofcigarette or smokeless product, whether manufactured in theUnited States or imported here. The law requires that a healthwarning appear in a conspicuous location on advertisements andpackaging, and the manufacturer's plan must assure an evendistribution of the warning statements in all parts of the U.S.where the product is sold. Both of these laws require the FTC to report to Congress. Underthe Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act, the FTCreports annually the current practices and methods of cigaretteadvertising and promotion. The Comprehensive Smokeless TobaccoHealth Education Act of 1986 contains the same reportingrequirements -- but on a two-year basis. This Act also requiresthe FTC to compile for Congress current sales figures forsmokeless tobacco products. Amendments to the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Actin 1971 and 1973 banned advertisements for cigarette and littlecigar products from radio and television. The ComprehensiveSmokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 extended thebroadcast advertising ban to smokeless tobacco products. 

### Disclosure of Tobacco Product Contents

For many years, the FTC has obtained and publicizedinformation about the constituents of tobacco smoke, such as tar,nicotine, and carbon monoxide. Through these disclosures,consumers who smoke have been able to choose brands with testedlower concentrations of such substances. In addition, since 1971,all manufacturers have been voluntarily disclosing the tar andnicotine content of cigarette brands in their advertisements. 

### For More Information

A single copy of the 1992 "Report on Tar, Nicotine, andCarbon Monoxide of the Smoke of 534 Varieties of DomesticCigarettes" is available free of charge. Requests may besent to: Public Reference, Federal Trade Commission, Washington,D.C. 20580. For further information about tobacco products andadvertising, consumers also may write to: Correspondence Branch,Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580. 5/91