Preventing Birth Defects. U.S. food manufacturers will add the nutrient folic acid to most enriched breads, flours, corn meals, pastas, rice and other grain products to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects in newborns, as a result of action taken in February 1996 by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration. Folic acid, or folate, reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida when consumed in adequate amounts by women before and during early pregnancy. Preventing Smoking by Children and Teens. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of American women, and smoking is the primary risk factor for this disease.
Smoking rates are alarmingly high for teenage girls.
In August 1996, President Clinton announced a comprehensive plan to protect children from the dangers of tobacco and a lifetime of nicotine addiction with the publication of the FDA's final rule on tobacco and children. The President's plan is intended to reduce tobacco use by children and adolescents by 50 percent in seven years. It builds on previous actions taken by Congress and others, such as the ban on TV advertising and state laws to prohibit the sale of tobacco to children. Additionally, HHS has initiated an anti-smoking educational partnership with the U.S. Women's Soccer Team, targeted directly toward adolescent women. Subsequent phases will address related issues such as premature sexual activity, physical activity, nutrition, and mental health.