Broad Tobacco Bill Introduced in Senate

The first comprehensive bill seeking to resolve the tobacco industry’s responsibility for smoking-related health costs was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday.

The bipartisan bill, introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), is seen as merely a starting point for an effort next year to convert into legislation the $368.5-billion national tobacco settlement announced in June.

The bill, however, is likely to be amended considerably, and it was immediately criticized by some anti-tobacco advocates as too soft.

McCain and his co-sponsors--Republican Slade Gorton of Washington and Democrats John Breaux of Louisiana and Ernest Hollings of South Carolina--acknowledged at a Washington news conference that the bill is a starting point for a debate expected to begin in earnest in January.

“The substance of the bill is not perfect, complete, comprehensive legislation that could ever be signed into law without considerable debate and amendments,” McCain said. “None of the co-sponsors endorse this bill as being the answer to our nation’s problems with tobacco-related death and illness, but it can and should serve as a basis to begin negotiations between all concerned parties.”

Despite the caveats, Wednesday’s action constitutes a benchmark. Since the settlement was announced, it has been widely criticized by public health advocates and the White House as being too soft on the industry. Until now, no lawmaker had been willing to introduce a comprehensive settlement bill.

In recent weeks, a bill to raise the price of cigarettes by $1.50 a pack through taxes was introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. James Hansen (R-Utah). Another, to provide $28.5 billion to compensate tobacco growers for losses they would be expected to incur as a result of the settlement, was introduced by a group of senators led by Democrat Wendell Ford of Kentucky. The McCain bill includes the Ford measure.

The tobacco industry issued a measured response through its Washington public relations firm. “We welcome the introduction of legislation that embraces a comprehensive resolution of tobacco issues,” the statement said. “We believe such an approach will lead to a dramatic reduction in underage tobacco use, provide immediate public health benefits and protect an adult’s right to use tobacco products.” It did not endorse the bill.

Mississippi Atty. Gen. Mike Moore, the lead negotiator for 40 states that sued the industry, said he was glad that a comprehensive bill had finally been introduced.

Several public health organizations immediately issued sharp criticisms of the measure. “Like the settlement, this legislation does not go nearly far enough,” said John R. Seffrin, chief executive of the American Cancer Society.

Seffrin said any settlement bill must include a provision giving the Food and Drug Administration “unfettered authority to regulate nicotine and other ingredients, as well as labeling, advertising and promotion of tobacco products.”