American Cancer Society States
Attorneys General Tobacco Settlement Is Wrong For California
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/
-- The following statement was issued today by Thomas D. Fogel, M.D., president
of California Division of the American Cancer Society:
The public needs to know that this settlement is wrong for California.
It will not do enough to control tobacco use, and it will not contain big
tobacco.
It appears the settlement does not adequately hold the tobacco industry
accountable for the death, disease, and suffering caused by their tobacco
products. The loopholes in the advertising and marketing provisions serve
to render them virtually ineffective. The agreement is further compromised
by its inability to control tobacco industry compliance. This settlement
will allow the tobacco companies to operate as they have in the past.
By no means is this issue settled. We will not sit by and watch 3,300
children become regular smokers each day. We will continue to work diligently
on the local, state, and federal levels for public health measures that
will prevent children from using tobacco and help adults stop. We will work
to assure that revenue generated by the settlement is spent on California's
tobacco control and other public health programs.
And finally, we will join forces with our Society counterparts across
the country to pass national legislation which strengthens the U.S. Food
& Drug Administration's authority to fully regulate tobacco products,
and support increased research into tobacco use prevention and cessation.
This settlement is not a victory for California. American Cancer Society
will continue to press for tobacco control policies that will reduce smoking
and save lives.