Make no mistake about it, the FDA would like to severely restrict the sale of all cigarettes in the United States. And when these fail, as they must, the agency will return with stronger recommendations and sterner controls. But controls are always a way of life in this industry. Laws addressing tobacco sales to minors are on the books in every state and the District of Columbia. Dozens of governmental agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Trade Commission and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms already police and regulate the industry.
Every state taxes cigarettes and most, like Connecticut, lump a sales tax on top of the excise tax.
Cigarettes are already among the most taxed and regulated products in America. The FDA has invited public comment, so it should be told that its proposed regulations will not affect teen smoking but will reduce employment and income in tobacco-related industries. It should also be told that its contrived rationale to regulate cigarettes as a medical device is as phony as a three-dollar bill.