The Committee will examine the accuracy of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) tar and nicotine cigarette rating system and the marketing claims of cigarette companies based on these ratings.
The FTC has raised concerns about its testing methods and has admitted in prior Congressional testimony that its “ratings tend to be relatively poor predictors of tar and nicotine exposure,” noting how machine-measured tar and nicotine ratings are not an accurate reflection of tar and nicotine intake. The Committee will also review the FTC’s jurisdiction over deceptive marketing and advertising practices.
The Committee will explore tobacco companies’ marketing of light cigarettes to Americans, the use of “light” and “ultra light” in cigarette manufacturers’ advertising practices, and the public health implications of changes in cigarette design.
Committee Members
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Frank R. Lautenberg
Senator -
Ted Stevens
Senator
Testimony
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David L. Ashley
Chief of Emergency Response and Air Toxicants, Branch for the Division of Laboratory SciencesNational Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -
William E. Kovacic
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Cathy Backinger
Witness Panel 2
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Jack Henningfield
Professor, Adjunct, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineVice President, Research and Health Policy, Pinney Associates -
Jonathan M. Samet
Professor and Chairman, Department of EpidemiologyJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health -
Stephen Sheller
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Marvin Goldberg