The fortunes of the nation's tobacco companies have suffered setbacks since this day in 1994 when their top executives insisted in sworn testimony before Congress that nicotine was not addictive. I believe nicotine is not addictive, yes. I believe nicotine is not addictive. I believe that nicotine is not addictive. On the regulatory front, President Clinton and then Food and Drug Administration chief David Kessler last August announced steps to regulate tobacco as a drug on the grounds that it contains an addictive drug, nicotine.
Cigarette smoking is the most significant public health problem facing our people.
The human cost is by far the most important issue. We have carefully considered the evidence. It is clear that the action taken today is the right thing to do scientifically, legally, and morally. The new regulations aim to cut teenage smoking in half, with far-reaching restrictions on advertising and marketing tobacco to minors. The tobacco companies protested, and vowed to block the new rules in the courts.