Jump to full article: New York Times, 2009-06-13
Author: DUFF WILSON
Intro: The House moved quickly Friday to pass the Senate's tobacco bill and send it to the White House, where President Obama promised to sign it.
Mr. Obama, who himself has struggled to quit smoking, said the measure would "protect our kids and improve our public health." Appearing in the Rose Garden just moments after the House vote, he said the tobacco legislation was "a bill that truly defines changes in Washington" and one that "changes the way Washington works and who it works for."
. . .
The law provides that by 2012, new, graphic warning labels must be designed and approved by the F.D.A. and occupy 50 percent of the space on each package of cigarettes. According to David Adelman, a tobacco industry analyst for Morgan Stanley, the larger warning is a key part of the new legislation, exposing the industry to increased financial risk through lower sales.
"The newer warning label requirement in the Senate bill could compromise the graphics appearance of all U.S. cigarette brands," Mr. Adelman wrote in a note to investors on Friday.
. . .
Antismoking advocacy groups like the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network were praising Congress on Friday.
"This bill is proof positive that the tobacco industry is no longer running the show on Capitol Hill and that the health of Americans is a top priority for our elected officials," the group's chief executive, John R. Seffrin, said in a statement.
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