FDA Goes too Far

I am sure that this has not shown up on many people's radar screens, however it showed up on mine, and it has me alarmed and worried.

Recently the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) created a new Center called the Center for Tobacco Products.  This was as a result of President Obama signing the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.  The Center will be responsible for setting performance standards, reviewing premarket applications for new and modified risk tobacco products, and establishing and enforcing advertising and promotion restrictions.  You might wonder why this has be worried?

Traditionally the FDA has served to protect public health through the regulation of food products, drugs, and medical devices.  It has played a valuable role in protecting consumers from threats that they are UNABLE to detect.  For instance, it is very difficult for a consumer to know if a piece of chicken has been processed in a dirty factory and carries salmonella, or if a medical device gives off harmful radiation.  The FDA protects the american public from these risks that they are unable to detect. 

By moving into tobacco regulation the FDA is altering its mission.  If the job of the Center was simply to make sure that manufacturers of tobacco products were processing their products properly that would be one thing, but the Center has a much bigger mission.....reducing the number of deaths and illness caused by tobacco products.  Ultimately the FDA has been tasked with removing tobacco from the market place in the name of public health.  It has been given authority to regulate the marketing of tobacco companies, the which products tobacco companies produce (i.e. no more flavored tobacco), and stopping the use of tobacco in the general public.  There goal is to reduce the number of tobacco caused deaths. 

Now some might view this as a worthy ambition.  It is well known that tobacco is not good for the body.  However, there are a lot of things that are not good for the body.  Soda is not good for the body.  Fast food is not good for the body.  Etc.  It is a well known fact and is publically accepted that tobacco is not healthy.  The public is educated and aware of the health consequences of tobacco.  FDA's mission here is not to protect the public from unkown health hazards, but to stop people from making a decision that the government feels threatens their own health.  This is wrong.  By setting the precedence, we have to fear what is next.  Do we set up a government agency to stop the public from drinking more than 12oz of soda a day.  I hope not.  I agree that a government agency should be there to make sure that soda was processed correctly, but not to tell me how much I should drink of it, or to limit a manufacturers creativity on the market place. 

An inside source, recently infomred me that a high level official within FDA was quoted as saying "This new Center will work to prevent tobacco use and curb its harmful effects on public health". 

Watch out.....never know what is next.