The Food and Drug Administration's Regulation of Tobacco: The Center for Tobacco Products' Office of Science

Abstract

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) was signed into law on June 22, 2009, and provided the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) broad regulatory authority with respect to the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products. The three public health goals of the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), FDA, are to prevent youth initiation of tobacco use, decrease harm and/or addictiveness of tobacco products, and encourage tobacco use cessation. The CTP has established an Office of Science to ensure that sound science exists with which to develop regulatory actions. Although there is a vast and sound science base with regard to numerous provisions within the TCA, new research will not only help assess the impact of FDA regulatory authority over tobacco products but will inform future regulatory activities. In order to meet the broad science demands within the TCA, the CTP developed seven research priority areas: 1understanding the diversity of tobacco products; 2reducing addiction to tobacco products; 3reducing toxicity and carcinogenicity of tobacco products and smoke; 4understanding adverse health consequences of tobacco use; 5understanding communications about tobacco products; 6understanding tobacco product marketing; and 7understanding economics and policies on tobacco use and perceptions.