A poll commissioned by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids found that 77 percent of registered voters support giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate tobacco products.

The survey of 800 voters, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and the Mellman Group, found that support for FDA regulation cut across political and regional lines, and was backed by strong majorities of smokers and nonsmokers. The poll also found strong support for specific regulatory steps like limiting advertising in publications with large underage readerships, regulating relative health claims about tobacco products, and requiring tobacco companies to reduce or remove harmful substances from cigarettes, including nicotine.

Both the House and Senate are currently considering legislation that would empower FDA oversight of tobacco. "Americans agree that it's time for Congress to address the nation's number one preventable cause of death and end the deadly status quo that allows tobacco companies to continue to target our children and mislead the public," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.