Altria wins big with new FDA regulation of cigarettes

After a long fight in Congress, legislation is about to pass that would put the FDA into the position of regulating the tobacco industry. The industry has largely been free to operate as it has seen fit, with the major obstacle to profits being periodic lawsuits over health, disability and death resulting from the long-term use of cigarettes.

According toThe New York Times, "The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, as it is called, would empower the F.D.A. to set standards for cigarettes, regulating chemicals in cigarette smoke and outlawing most tobacco flavorings."