The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently responded to a letter AWMA sent to Dr. Lawrence Deyton, Director of the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), asking him to consider creating an informal advisory committee to include representatives from the distribution community to help facilitate an exchange of information on the development of regulations stemming from the enactment of the new tobacco law.  

AWMA has already contacted the agency to request our inclusion in a panel discussion with other stakeholders at an August 2011 meeting in Texas to address concerns within the retailer and distribution industry with respect to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act implementation.  However, AWMA recognizes that that meeting is almost one year away and, in the meantime, there are regulations being promulgated affecting our industry.  For this reason, AWMA sent a letter to the agency asking for the creation of this advisory panel comprised of industry and CTP staff to promote better understanding within the agency of the role distributors play in the tobacco supply chain.  

In response to our letter, Dr. Deyton stated “It is not feasible for CTP to create an advisory committee as you have suggested given the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and FDA’s advisory committee regulations.  However, your request has catalyzed significant internal CTP discussion about ways we may be able to exchange knowledge and expertise.  Although we cannot grant your specific request and while we are exploring ways to accomplish the information exchange you suggest, I do want to be sure we are receiving information, data, thoughts and views from tobacco industry experts concerning the implementation of the Tobacco Control Act.”

Dr. Deyton goes on to say, “I sincerely appreciate your willingness to work proactively with CTP to assure we have the opportunity to learn and integrate knowledge of tobacco wholesalers into the work we need to do to implement the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.”

AWMA will continue to work to ensure the distributor’s concerns are fully understood by the agency and to promote better understanding of the role our industry plays in the tobacco supply chain.