FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, January 23, 1996

Apparently for the first time, tonight's State of the Union address will list smoking as a major national problem, and support an FDA proposal to reduce smoking by children.

These FDA regulations could save far more lives and far more money than all other health care plans and reforms, says Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the organization primarily responsible for the agency rulemaking.

Over one million kids take up smoking every year; most become hooked on a drug as addictive to many as cocaine or heroin; more than one third will eventually die as a result of decisions they typically make between the ages of 9-14 years; and they will be up to 100 times more likely to move on to illegal drug use.

Smoking costs the American economy over $100 billion dollars each year, most of which is paid by nonsmokers in the form of higher taxes, health premiums, and other expenses.

Thus, says professor John Banzhaf, ASH's Executive Director, even a ten percent reduction in teen smoking rates _ which have risen 30% over the past few years as a result of increasingly aggressive cigarette promotions _ could begin to save the country billions of dollars annually.

Indeed, notes Banzhaf, recent studies show that cigarette advertising and promotion is twice as likely to cause a child to begin smoking as either peer pressure of parental smoking habits.

Studies also show that children of all ages enjoy easy access to cigarettes, with ID almost never demanded, virtually no prosecutions for sales to minors, and ready availability to even pre-teens through vending machines.

In their own law suit filed against the FDA for proposing to regulate cigarettes, the six major tobacco companies charge that ASH's "threats," "pressure," and "a carefully orchestrated public relations campaign" were behind the FDA's proposal to regulate the sale of tobacco products to children.

ASH believes the President's words tonight will help build even more support for a proposal which has already generated more than 30,000 letters of support from children alone.

ASH - ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH 2013 H Street, NW / Washington, DC 20006 / (202) 659-4310