P.M. BRIEFING : Federal Anti-Smoking Bill Gains
The Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee approved a bill today boosting the federal role in educating Americans about dangers of smoking.
The bill, approved on a 10-4 vote, authorizes $110 million next year for expanding research into the smoking habit, encouraging states to enforce laws prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to minors and attempting to reduce smoking by target groups, including pregnant women and blue-collar workers.
The legislation would allow the government to buy anti-smoking advertisements.
Before the bill was approved, the committee stripped away several contentious provisions, including one that would have required labels warning that smoking is addictive.
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