Tobacco use in the US is constantly under assault in many ways - new anti-smoking laws are put in place every day, tobacco taxes keep increasing, false information about the dangers of second-hand smoke - all trample the rights of people that choose to smoke. The places one can smoke are dwindling down to almost nothing. There are even laws that outlaw smoking outside in public parks and beaches! There are many local laws. There are proposed laws to make it illegal to smoke in a smoking lounge! That's like making it illegal to eat in a restaurant.
It is getting so ridiculous that they have now defined "3rd hand smoke". That is the smell of tobacco on your clothes after you have been smoking. And they say that is harmful now too. As if all this isn't bad enough, now we have this new proposed law.
Currently in the US we have the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, commonly referred to as the "ATF". They are responsible for making sure laws are followed related to tobacco, such as the proper licensing of sellers, that it is not sold to minors (under 18 years of age, some state laws are 21 years), that it is properly taxed and labeled. You can read about this agency here if you like: http://www.atf.gov/.
The new proposed law will put a different government agency in charge of tobacco - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, commonly referred to as the "FDA".
They basically make sure the food we eat is safe and will not make us ill. There are laws for handling, storing, shipping and selling all types of food products, like meat and vegetables to make sure they are fresh and disease free. They also regulate legal drugs. The FDA website is here: http://www.fda.gov/
The ATF basically regulates the TRADE of tobacco.
If the new law passes and the FDA takes over the regulation of tobacco, they will approach it from angle of HEALTH.
Worst case, it is believed they will eventually define tobacco as an unsafe addictive drug and outlaw it. Best case, they will make so many regulations for the manufacture, sale and use of tobacco that the business will die or come close to it.
Part of the proposed law also says no flavoring will be allowed in tobacco. More than half of the all pipe tobacco has flavoring added to it. Suddenly several legal products will now be illegal.
All these self-appointed do-gooders that are trying to save us from ourselves and make our lifestyle decisions for us because they know better what's good for us always love to cry out that they are "saving the children!" They love to claim that flavored tobacco targets children to get them addicted to smoking.
I am writing on article on this now.