President Signs FDA Bill into Law
Jun 24, 2009
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The Food and Drug Administration now has control over the U.S. cigarette industry. In a widely anticipated move, President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law on Monday.
The bill had been approved by Congress earlier this month.
While the measure will have a dramatic impact on the cigarette industry—banning all flavored cigarettes save for menthol, limiting the release of new products, limiting advertising and placing restrictions on the use of words such as "light"—cigar industry experts say there will be no impact on cigars, at least in the short term.
In May, the Obama Administration proposed a 19 percent increase in the FDA's 2009 budget.