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FDA Center for Tobacco Products

What is the Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products?
President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (also called the "Tobacco Control Act") into law in June 2009, which led to the establishment of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP).

This means that the FDA now has the authority to regulate tobacco products, which may significantly impact labeling and marketing of tobacco products aimed at children and youth.

Several parts of this Act take time to enforce, but a few rules have already been put into practice. See the timeline for the Act. Utilize this tool to make the Tobacco Control Act easier to access, understand, search, and use.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence has been involved in FDA CTP activities, including the activities below:

• FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting Open Public Hearings
  • July 22, 2011: AAP Richmond Center Principal Investigator Dr. Jonathan Winickoff gave testimony about dissolvable tobacco products. Read Dr. Winickoff's testimony.
  • November 18, 2010: AAP Richmond Center Principal Investigator Dr. Jonathan Winickoff gave testimony about menthol cigarettes. View the video or presentation slides.
  • March 31, 2010: AAP Richmond Center Principal Investigator Dr. Susanne Tanski gave testimony about protecting children from the harms of tobacco. Read Dr. Tanski's testimony.
• Signing of Tobacco Control Act
  • AAP applauds signing of Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
• FDA bans flavored cigarettes
  • Press Release from AAP President Dr. David Tayloe
  • Groups Celebrate Tobacco Rule
• Support for cigarette pack warning labels
• AAP applauds ruling to limit marketing of tobacco products to children
• AAP condemns ruling that graphic cigarette warning labels are unconstitutional
• AAP condemns ruling to block implementation of new cigarette package warning labels

Major Tobacco Control Act Milestones

• FDA reveals new cigarette pack warning labels
  • New FDA Cigarette Health Warnings
• FDA makes recommendations on the health impact of menthol cigarettes
  • FDA's Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee concludes that removing menthol cigarettes from the market would improve the public health of the US
• FDA bans low, light, and mild cigarettes
  • Low, Light, Mild or Similar Descriptors no longer allowed on cigarette packaging
  • Light cigarette fact sheet
• Smokeless tobacco products must include warning labels
  • New smokeless tobacco packaging must describe health warnings on two sides of packaging

Information about FDA CTP

• Consumer Factsheet: Protecting Children
• Read more about the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act through the FDA CTP Web site, or through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site.
• As of September 22, 2009, flavored cigarettes are banned. Flavored cigarettes utilize flavors that children especially like, and the ban will help prevent children from initiating smoking.
• As of July 22, 2010, cigarettes claiming to be light, low, or mild are no longer allowed to be manufactured.
• As of July 22, 2010, smokeless tobacco products that do not include FDA-approved health warnings are not allowed to be manufactured.
• Help protect children by reporting violations of the Tobacco Control Act.