February 2007

Dear Senator/Representative:

Congress has an historic opportunity to embrace responsible legislation that will help to reduce the suffering and death caused by tobacco. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Senator John Cornyn (R-YY), S 625, in the U.S. Senate and by Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Tom Davis (R-VA), HR 1108, in the U.S. House of Representatives to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate the tobacco industry for the first time, ending the exceptional protection granted only to tobacco companies and to no other industry.

In 2004, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly, 78-15 to grant the FDA effective authority to regulate tobacco products, but the legislation ultimately died in a conference committee. Forty-three years have passed since the U.S. Surgeon General reported on the unquestionable dangers of smoking. Since that time, tobacco products have become the largest single preventable cause of death in America while Congress has yet to take meaningful action.

Tobacco use kills more than 400,000 Americans each year and costs our nation more than $96 billion in health care costs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tobacco use by pregnant women alone costs between $400-500 million per year due to complications such as low birth weight, premature births and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). And every day Congress fails to act, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers, one-third of whom will die prematurely as a result. Yet tobacco products are virtually unregulated to protect consumers? health and safety. For decades, the tobacco companies have marketed their deadly products to our children, deceived consumers about the harm their products cause, and failed to take any meaningful action to make their products less harmful or less addictive. The Kennedy-Cornyn and Waxman-Davis bills would finally end the exceptional protection enjoyed by the tobacco industry and protect our children and the nation?s health instead.

This legislation meets the standards long established by the public health community for a strong FDA tobacco regulation bill that protects the public health. It would give the FDA the necessary tools and resources to effectively regulate the manufacturing, marketing, labeling, distribution and sale of tobacco products. The FDA would have the authority to:

• Stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children and adolescents.
• Require changes in tobacco products, such as the reduction or elimination of harmful chemicals, to make them less harmful and less addictive.
• Restrict advertising and promotions that appeal to children and adolescents.
• Prohibit unsubstantiated health claims about so-called ?reduced risk? tobacco products that discourage current tobacco users from quitting or encourage new users to start.
• Require the disclosure of tobacco product content and tobacco industry research about the health effects of their products.
• Require larger and more informative health warnings on tobacco products.

This much-needed bipartisan FDA legislation protects the public?s health and should be enacted in this session of Congress. We remain concerned that opponents of effective FDA tobacco regulation will seek to weaken the bills. Our organizations will work vigorously to protect the bills as they currently exist and will oppose efforts to eliminate or weaken the FDA authority they provide. Please support the Kennedy- Cornyn, S625, and Waxman-Davis, HR 1108, FDA bills and oppose any and all weakening changes.

Following this letter is a list of public health, faith and other organizations representing millions of people from across the country that have endorsed this legislation and are actively working to see it enacted into law.

Sincerely,

National Public Health Organizations (80)

American Cancer Society

American Heart Association

American Lung Association

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Academy of General Dentistry

Alliance of the American Dental Association

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

American Academy of Dermatology

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

American Academy of Oral Medicine

American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Periodontology

American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

American Association for Cancer Research

American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation

American Association of Dental Editors

American Association of Dental Examiners

American Association for Dental Research

American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine

American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons

American Association of Orthodontists

American Association of Public Health Dentistry

American Association for Respiratory Care

American College of Cardiology

American College of Chest Physicians

American College of Dentists

American College of Prosthodontists

American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists

American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine

American College of Physicians

American College of Preventative Medicine

American Dental Association

American Dental Education Association

American Dental Hygienists? Association

American Medical Association

American Medical Student Association

American Psychiatric Association

American Psychological Association

American Public Health Association

American Society of Addiction Medicine

American Society of Clinical Oncology

American Student Dental Association.

American Thoracic Society

Americans For Health Care

Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

Association of Community Cancer Centers

Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs

Association of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurses

Association of State & Territorial Dental Directors

Association of State & Territorial Health Officials

Association of Women's Health, Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses

Black Men?s Health Initiative

Children?s Cause for Cancer Advocacy

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America

CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation

Directors of Health Promotion and Education

Foundation for a Smokefree America

Heart Rhythm Society

Hispanic Dental Association

Lung Cancer Alliance

March of Dimes

National African American Tobacco Prevention Network

National Association of County & City Health Officials

National Association of Health Education Centers

National Association of Local Boards of Health

National Consumers League

National Council of La Raza

National Dental Association

National Hispanic Medical Association

National Latino Council on Alcohol & Tobacco Prevention

National Physicians Alliance

Oncology Nursing Society

Oral Health America

Partnership for Prevention

Society for Public Health Education

The Lance Armstrong Foundation

Trust for America?s Health

Other National Organizations (13)

AARP

ASPIRA, Inc.

Children?s Defense Fund

Families USA

First Focus

Hadassah – Women?s Zionist Organization of America

National Education Association

National Partnership for Women & Families

National Puerto Rican Coalition

National Research Center for Women & Families

National Women?s Law Center

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Veterans for Common Sense

National/Regional Faith Organizations (35)

American Baptist Churches of the South

American Baptist Churches USA

Brethren Witness/Washington Office

Briarwood United Methodist Church – Jackson, MS

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Catholic Conference of Kentucky

Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

Church Women United

Crossroads Community Church – OH

Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

FAME Church – CA

General Board of Church & Society, United Methodist Church

General Commission on United Methodist Men

Health Ministries Association

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

International Parish Nurse Resource Center

Interreligious Coalition on Smoking or Health

Islamic Society of North America

Kansas East Conference Board of Church & Society, United Methodist Church

Kansas Ecumenical Ministries Governing Board

Liberty Baptist Church – Flowood, MS

Mt. Sinai Church - NE

National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA

National Episcopal Health Ministries

Orchardville Community Church: Centralia Branch - IL

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Seventh-day Adventists

United Church of Christ

United Methodist Church

Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

West Salem Trinity United Methodist Church ? IL

Women?s Division, GBGM, United Methodist Church

World Sikh Council - America Region

Regional Organizations (20)

American Cancer Society, Eastern Division, Inc. (New Jersey and New York)

American Cancer Society, Great Lakes Division, Inc. (Michigan and Indiana)

American Cancer Society, Great West Division, Inc. (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota)

American Cancer Society, High Plains Division, Inc. (Hawaii, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri)

American Cancer Society, Mid-South Division, Inc. (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky)

American Cancer Society, Midwest Division, Inc. (South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin)

American Cancer Society, New England Division, Inc. (Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine)

American Cancer Society, South Atlantic Division, Inc. (Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia)

American Heart Association – Great Rivers Affiliate (West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Delaware)

American Heart Association – Greater Midwest Affiliate (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota)

American Heart Association - Greater Southeast Affiliate, (Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee)

American Heart Association – Heartland Affiliate (Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas)

American Heart Association – Heritage Affiliate (Connecticut, New Jersey, New York City)

American Heart Association – MidAtlantic Affiliate (South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC)

American Heart Association – Northeast Affiliate (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York State, Massachusetts)

American Heart Association – Pacific Mountain Affiliate (Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico)

Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter

Intermountain Pediatric Society/AAP Utah Chapter

Maryland/District of Columbia Society for Respiratory Care

New Hampshire/Vermont Thoracic Society

State/Local Organizations (487)

Alaska

Alaska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

American Lung Association of Alaska

Alabama

Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Alabama Chapter, American College of Cardiology

Alabama Dental Association

Alabama Society for Respiratory Care

Arkansas

American Lung Association of Arkansas

Arkansas Clinical Oncology Association

Arkansas Society for Respiratory Care

Arkansas State Dental Association

Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Arkansas

Arizona

American Lung Association of Arizona

Arizona Clinical Oncology Society

Arizona Dental Association

Arizona Public Health Association

Arizona Society for Respiratory Care

Arizona Thoracic Society

California

Alpine County Health & Human Services ? CA

American Cancer Society, California Division, Inc.

American Lung Association of California

California Academy of Family Physicians

California Chapter 3 of the American Academy of Pediatrics

California Conference of Local Health Officers

California Dental Association

California Society for Respiratory Care

California Thoracic Society

FAME Church – CA

Health Officers Association of California

Loma Linda Univ. School of Dentistry – CA

Loma Linda Univ. School of Public Health – CA

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors – CA

Orange County Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society – CA

San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society – CA

Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency – CA

Valley Community Clinic – CA

Colorado

American Lung Association of Colorado

Boulder Pride – CO

Colorado Academy of Family Physicians

Colorado Dental Association

Colorado Society for Respiratory Care

Colorado Thoracic Society

Connecticut

American Lung Association of Connecticut

Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians

Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Inc.

Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Connecticut Dental Hygienists? Association, Inc.

Connecticut Society for Respiratory Care

Connecticut State Dental Association

Connecticut Thoracic Society

Western Oncology Nurses of Connecticut Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society

Washington, DC

District of Columbia Dental Society

District of Columbia Thoracic Society

Medical Society of the