WASHINGTON — Anti-smoking forces won a long-awaited victory Thursday as the House passed legislation that would give the federal government key controls over the tobacco industry for the first time.
The measure, passed 298-112, gives the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate — but not ban — cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The Senate could take up its version of the bill this month, and supporters are confident they can overcome opposition from tobacco-state senators. The White House supports the legislation, a shift from the Bush administration, which threatened to veto a House-passed measure last year.
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act wouldn’t let the FDA ban nicotine or tobacco outright, but the agency would be able to regulate the contents of tobacco products, make their ingredients public, prohibit flavoring, require much larger warning labels, and strictly control or prohibit marketing campaigns, especially those geared toward children.
