This thread discusses the Content article: Goodbye Tobacco And Free Speech!

Sean is 100% correct. FDA jurisdiction is food, drugs, and medical devices. Tobacco clearly counts as none of that. FDA has no expertise in tobacco matters. Moreover, like its current regulations, the FDA would finance its regulation of tobacco by charging user fees to the companies it regulates. Costs that, no doubt, will be filtered down to consumers.

Small tobacco manufacturers, include some that I represent as an attorney, have been lobbying strongly against this bill and aspects of it. Regulation will increase the burdens on these small manufacturers both by hitting them with additional fees and increasing their costs through additional testing and other requirements. No doubt several small companies will either go out of business or ove overseas, either way taking U.S. money and jobs out of the economy.

Senators and Congressmen of both parties assume the public is against smoking and for regulation. Small manufacturers have been lobbying against this bill; like Sean, I encourage you to write to your representatives and Senators (especially those from New Jersey) to show you're against this. Small manufacturers who will be hurt by this bill are working against it, and your comments to them will help a great deal.