WASHINGTON, D.C. — So long, Joe Camel. At least for now. As expected, President Clinton, today, declared nicotine an addictive drug and put its regulation under the control of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Among the provisions in the FDA’s regulations endorsed by Clinton are broad bans on the advertisement of tobacco products to teens.
Among other things the regulations would:
Forbid brand name sponsorship of sporting events and brand-name advertising of tobacco products on items unrelated to tobacco, such as T-shirts, hats and notebooks.
Forbid cigarette billboards within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds.
Require that tobacco advertising in any publication with a youth readership of more than 15 percent (youth being defined as under 18) or a total of more than 2 million youth readers be limited to black and white text without photographs and drawings.
While most student publications do not carry cigarette advertising, such a restriction would have an impact on many of the commercial publications read by students.
Challenges to the advertising restrictions on free speech grounds are expected.