#TBT: President Clinton Targets Youth Smoking

 

     On August 10th, 1995, President Bill Clinton announced a series of new regulations designed to prevent teen smoking. Because teenagers make up 90 percent of new lifetime smoking customers, it was a contentious battle that tobacco companies spent billions of dollars opposing. However, with bipartisan support in Congress, most notably from the late John McCain, the president ordered the FDA to require IDs for tobacco purchases, banned cigarette vending machines, ended tobacco marketing toward minors in all forms, and required the tobacco industry to fund youth anti-smoking initiatives.

     Since the regulations went into effect, the teen smoking rate has fallen from 36 percent to 16 percent, a 60 percent decrease in 30 years that is projected to continue and has contributed to a boost in life expectancy in the United States. This was among many initiatives targeting education, welfare, healthcare, labor, and other aspects of childhood that President Clinton was able to improve during his time in the White House.