President Clinton: Working to Reduce Teen Smoking

      PRESIDENT CLINTON:
WORKING TO REDUCE TEEN SMOKING

November 16, 1998

         "We should remember the stakes.  Each day that Congress fails to
act, more than 3,000 children start smoking, and more than 1,000 of them
will die early as a result.   Each day that Congress fails to act, our
children continue to be bombarded by massive a marketing campaign aimed at
recruiting what tobacco industry documents call D+replacement smokers.D,
With strong legislation, we can save one million lives in the first five
years.  Our duty is clear: to protect our children, to wrap a loving arm
around them, and to give them the future they deserve."
                                                         President Bill
Clinton
                                                         November 16, 1998

Today, President Clinton will declare that the proposed state tobacco
settlement, which holds the tobacco industry accountable for targeting
children, is a step in the right direction and will calion Congress to
finish the job and pass comprehensive tobacco legislation that will help
reduce teen smoking. The President will also underscore the
AdministrationD,s strong commitment to the FDA tobacco rule, which
confirms the FDAD,s authority over tobacco, by noting that the Solicitor
General has decided to seek the Supreme CourtD,s review of a recent
decision by the Fourth Circuit denying a rehearing in the FDA case.

The proposed State Settlement Is A Step In The Right Direction.  President
Clinton has worked very hard over the last three years to reduce the
number of teen smokers and hold tobacco companies accountable for their
marketing of cigarettes to children. Today, state Attorneys General will
unveil a proposed settlement with major tobacco companies. The President
sees this proposed settlement as a real step in the right direction, but
will make clear that there is still a great deal left for Congress to do
to ensure a substantial reduction in youth smoking.

Anti-Teen Smoking Legislation Will Be One Of The PresidentD,s Top
Priorities For The Next Congress. The President will calion the next
Congress to finish the job and enact national tobacco legislation.
Passage of this legislation will be one of the President:l,s top priorities
for the next Congress. The American people want progress not
partisanship.  They want Congress to protect children, not special
interests. The new Congress has the chance to put politics aside and do
what the last Congress failed to do -- act now to prevent three million chi
ldren from starting smoking and save one million lives over the next five
years.

The Clinton Administration will Seek Supreme Court Review Of The Fourth
Circuit FDA Decision. The President will reiterate his support for the
FDA tobacco rule, which confirms FDA authority over tobacco products.
Since this rule was announced in 1995 the tobacco industry has challenged
it in court. Last week, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the
AdministrationD,s request for a rehearing in the FDA case. Today, the
President will make clear that the Solicitor General has authorized the
filing of a petition in the Supreme Court seeking review of the Fourth
CircuitD,s decision in this matter. This decision is crucial, confirming
the FDA's authority over tobacco products is necessary to help stop young


people from smoking before they start by stopping advertising targeted at
children and curbing'minors' access to tobacco products,  If the
leadership in Congress would act in a bipartisan manner and pass
comprehensive tobacco legislation to confirm the FDA's authority, this
matter could be taken out of the courtroom,