ADA 



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 Associaion 



Office of th« Executive Director 



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March 31, 1994 



Honorable Henry A. Waxman 



Chairman 



Subcommittee on Health and the Environment 



Committee on Energy and Commerce 



2415 Rayburn House Office Building 



U.S. House of Representatives 



Washington, D.C. 20515 



RE : Statement for the Record for March 25. 1994 Hearing Concerning 

 Regulation of Tobacco Products under the Federal Food. Drug 

 and Cosmetic Act 



Dear Chairman Waxman: 



The American Dental Association (ADA or Association) appreciates 

 the opportunity to submit a statement for the record concerning the 

 regulation of tobacco products. As the representative of over 

 140,000 dentists nationwide, the Association has, as a core 

 responsibility, a mandate to support activities to enhance the oral 

 health of the American public. 



To that end, the ADA agrees with those who call for legislation 

 that defines tobacco as a drug and transfers its regulation to the 

 Food and Drug Administration. 



A March 25, 1994 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Vol. 43, 

 No. 11, at p. 198) published by the Centers for Disease Control 

 (CDC) , U.S. Public Health Service confirms that the use of tobacco 

 products continues to be a significant oral health problem, as the 

 5-year survival rate for people with oral cancer remains a very low 

 53 percent. According to CDC, oral cancer was diagnosed in about 

 30,000 people in the United States in 1992, causing nearly 8,000 

 deaths. Furthermore, CDC states that approximately 70 percent of 

 those deaths are associated with smoking and other forms of tobacco 

 use. 



It is important to keep in mind that oral cancer is truly a 

 devastating disease, often resulting in the loss of portions of the 

 face and jaw. While oral examinations are effective at reducing 

 morbidity and mortality caused by oral cancers, prevention always 

 remains the best first-line defense. In this instance, the best 

 preventive measure is simply not using tobacco products. 



The Association has strived for years to eliminate the use of 

 smokeless tobacco, especially among adolescents. To accomplish 

 this goal, the ADA continues to work with professional baseball to 



