A tobacco state lawmaker has introduced legislation to prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from regulating tobacco.
The bill filed by Sen. Wendell Ford, D-Ky., on Wednesday calls for measures to fight the epidemic of teenage smoking - an estimated 3,000 take up the habit every day - but stops well short of the FDA's own plans.The FDA last month announced it would fight teen tobacco use with advertising restrictions, bans on product sponsorship of athletic events and free samples of tobacco and by forcing tobacco makers to spend $150 million on anti-smoking education.
Ford said the FDA plans were the government's secret first step toward banning smoking for everyone, something the FDA denies.