A subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has approved a bill that would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate cigarettes and other tobacco products, CNS News reported March 12.

The bill, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, would give the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco marketing and product contents, as well as banning the use of terms like "low tar," "light" and "mild" to advertise cigarettes and requiring larger warning labels on tobacco packages.

A Senate subcommittee advanced companion legislation last August. "By enacting this legislation into law this year, Congress can finally end the special protection the tobacco industry has enjoyed for far too long and instead protect our children and the nation's health," according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Tobacco company Philip Morris supports the legislation, but others, like R.J. Reynolds, oppose empowering FDA to restrict tobacco ads and contents, including nicotine levels. "We also have a concern over what appears to be developing as a rush to judgment and passage by Congress," Reynolds said.

The Bush administration's FDA commissioner, Andrew von Eschenbach, also has spoken out against the bill, citing cost concerns, possible unintended consequences of lowering nicotine levels in cigarettes, and possible public misinterpretation of FDA regulation as an endorsement of smoking.