Source: The White House
Date: 2010-06-22
Author:  The White House Blog

The President expressed his appreciation for Senator Ted Kennedy
above all today. Lamenting that the senator could not be there
for the signing of Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control
Act, he called it "change that\'s been decades in the making." By
all accounts, it is the strongest measure protecting children
from the dangers of smoking to date - read the fact sheet for all
of the details.

He recounted the all-too-familiar statistics: that more than
400,000 Americans now die of tobacco-related illnesses each year;
that more than 8 million Americans suffer from at least one
serious illness caused by smoking; and that almost 90% of all
smokers began at or before their 18th birthday.

He spoke on his personal experience:

I know - I was one of these teenagers, and so I know how
difficult it can be to break this habit . . . .


This legislation will not ban all tobacco products, and it will
allow adults to make their own choices. But it will also ban
tobacco advertising within a thousand feet of schools and
playgrounds. It will curb the ability of tobacco companies to
market products to our children by using appealing flavors. It
will force these companies to more clearly and publicly
acknowledge the harmful and deadly effects of the products they
sell. And it will allow the scientists at the FDA to take other
common-sense steps to reduce the harmful effects of smoking.

This legislation is a victory for bipartisanship, and it was
passed overwhelmingly in both Houses of Congress. It\'s a victory
for health care reform, as it will reduce some of the billions we
spend on tobacco-related health care costs in this country. It\'s
a law that will reduce the number of American children who pick
up a cigarette and become adult smokers. And most importantly, it
is a law that will save American lives and make Americans
healthier.