Out on a Limb for Health’s Sake : Clinton backs FDA war on smoking by children

With a stiffness of political spine rare in this presidency, Bill Clinton has taken a historic and courageous step to curb tobacco use by children. He resisted his instinct for finding the middle way and came down squarely behind the Food and Drug Administration’s bold proposal to designate nicotine a dangerous and addictive drug and therefore subject to federal control of its marketing and use.

Clinton certainly will suffer political retribution from the tobacco-producing states, but his action is an acknowledgment of a truth: that the nation is in a pediatric health crisis caused by smoking. More than 1 million youngsters a year become addicted to cigarettes and chewing tobacco, setting the stage for disease and lost work--and burdening the wider public with huge medical bills.

BILLBOARD LIMIT: The FDA proposal stops well short of banning smoking by adults. Rather, it would curb the tobacco industry’s aggressive marketing to children by forbidding billboard advertising near schools and banning cigarette sponsorship of sporting events. It would also require proof of age to buy cigarettes and sharply limit vending machine sales.

The industry, with its usual contempt for public health, responded by filing a lawsuit contending the agency has no authority to regulate cigarettes. It is also expected to use its heavy clout in Congress, where Clinton will seek legislation to codify the rules.

Philip Morris USA issued a press release touting new steps it has taken to deter youngsters, including printing “Underage Sale Prohibited” on packages. That surely will stop the kids from lighting up. The company said the goal of preventing youthful smoking was “laudable” but that its own voluntary efforts along that line were better than hard regulations. This from the company that for years has promoted Virginia Slims cigarettes with a glamorous image of healthy, athletic youth.

The new rules are unlikely to go into effect for at least a year and could face further delay from litigation.

COVERT STUDIES: This is obviously not a politically opportune time to extend the arm of federal government, but FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler has built a solid case for the move against smoking. His argument has been boosted by disclosure of the industry’s covert studies showing nicotine to be addictive.

The states have mostly done a poor job in enforcing existing laws, and the voluntary efforts by the mendacious tobacco industry are laughable. A recent packet describing anti-youth-smoking programs by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. makes no mention of cancer, heart disease or emphysema.

The time has come for the nation to control the scourge of cigarette smoking. Of course, any attempt to ban a product used by nearly 50 million adults would be unenforceable. The place to break the pattern of addiction is with children, for studies show people not hooked by age 18 or 19 seldom start later. President Clinton and Dr. Kessler have made a good beginning.