Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 227 / Tuesday, November 25, 1997 / Notices 62775

These estimates are based on

conversations with treatment and

detoxification programs, on the number

of responses received in past years, and

on examination of received responses.

Dated: November 18, 1997.

William K. Hubbard,

Associate Commissioner for Policy

Coordination.

[FR Doc. 97–30911 Filed 11–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–01–F

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. 97N–0376]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration,

HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) is announcing

that a proposed collection of

information has been submitted to the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for emergency processing under

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(the PRA). The purpose of the proposed

collection of information, a two-part

telephone survey of tobacco retailers, is

to assess the effectiveness of an

advertising campaign aimed at

increasing retailers’ awareness of, and

motivating retailers to comply with,

new regulations that prohibit retailers

from selling cigarettes and smokeless

tobacco to persons younger than 18

years of age and require retailers to

verify, by means of photographic

identification containing the bearer’s

date of birth, the age of every purchaser

who is younger than 27 years old. The

first phase of the survey must be

completed by December 31, 1997.

DATES: Submit written comments on the

collection of information by December

5, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

on the collection of information to the

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, OMB, New Executive Office

Bldg., 725 17th St. NW., rm. 10235,

Washington, DC 20503, Attn: Desk

Officer for FDA. All comments should

be identified with the docket number

found in brackets in the heading of this

document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen L. Nelson, Office of Information

Resources Management (HFA–250),

Food and Drug Administration, 5600

Fishers Lane, rm. 16B–18, Rockville,

MD 20857, 301–827–1482.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: With

respect to the following collection of

information, FDA invites comments on:

(1) Whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of FDA’s functions,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of

FDA’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (3)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including through the

use of automated collection techniques,

when appropriate, and other forms of

information technology.

Tobacco Retailer Tracking Survey

On February 28, 1997, new Federal

regulations at 21 CFR part 897 went into

effect that prohibit retailers from selling

cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to

persons younger than 18 years of age,

and require retailers to verify, by means

of photographic identification, the age

of purchasers younger than 27 years old.

FDA is planning to conduct a pilot

advertising will campaign, in one State,

aimed at raising retailers’ awareness of

the new regulations, and motivating

retailers to comply. The campaign will

target persons who sell cigarettes or

smokeless tobacco to consumers for

their personal use, including clerks and

cashiers in grocery and convenience

stores, pharmacies and drug stores, gas

stations, liquor stores, taverns and bars,

and tobacco stores. As part of the pilot,

FDA is proposing to conduct a two-part

telephone survey of tobacco retailers to

measure their awareness of, and selfreported compliance with, the new

regulations before and after exposure to

the advertising campaign in the test

State. FDA also would study levels of

awareness and self-reported compliance

among tobacco retailers in a control

State matched demographically with the

test State. Retailers in the control State

would not be exposed to the media

campaign, and FDA would not be

actively conducting compliance checks

before awareness and self-reported

levels of compliance are measured.

A random sample of 1,350 tobacco

retailers in the test State (675 for each

phase) and 300 tobacco retailers in the

control State would be selected for a

telephone interview. All interviewing

would be conducted by a single market

research firm that would employ

computer-aided telephone interviewing

technology to expedite the fieldwork

and ensure accuracy. FDA plans to use

the results of the survey in designing a

nationwide advertising campaign that

would help to reduce youth access to

cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Under

21 U.S.C. 393(b)(2)(C), FDA is

authorized to conduct surveys and other

research relating to its responsibilities

under the Federal Food, Drug, and

Cosmetic Act.

FDA estimates the burden of this

collection of information as follows:

TABLE 1.—ESTIMATED ANNUAL REPORTING BURDEN1

No. of Respondents

Annual

Frequency per

Response

Total Annual

Responses

Hours per

Response Total Hours

1,650 survey 1 1,650 .2 330

Total 1,650 330

1There are no capital costs or operating and maintenance costs associated with this collection of information.

FDA has requested emergency

processing of this proposed collection of

information under section 3507(j) of the

PRA and 5 CFR 1320.13. This

information is needed by December 31,

1997, and is essential to the agency’s

mission. The use of normal PRA

clearance procedures would be likely to

result in the prevention or disruption of

this collection of information.

Dated: November 19, 1997.

William K. Hubbard,

Associate Commissioner for Policy

Coordination.

[FR Doc. 97–30912 Filed 11–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–01–F