Ban on Flavored Tobacco?

The US House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed a bill by a vote of 38-12 to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco. The legislation will allow the FDA to monitor cigarette labeling, ban flavored cigarettes and limit advertisements such as those claiming that one product is safer than others. The agency would not be able to outlaw cigarettes or require zero nicotine levels. Although the bill has 220 backers in the House and 55 co-sponsors in the Senate, its success isn't guaranteed this year and it could face a presidential veto. The FDA has not endorsed the bill because it would be difficult to implement and "would burden an already-strained regulatory body." (Source: FEMA)