WHEREAS, representatives of the tobacco companies and forty State Attorneys General who have sued the tobacco companies have proposed legislation that would settle many of the pending lawsuits against the tobacco companies; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation is currently under consideration by the Congress and President Clinton; and,
WHEREAS, the City and County of San Francisco currently has three lawsuits pending against the tobacco companies, one of which is scheduled for trial in December of this year; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation would settle the City's three lawsuits legislatively; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation insufficiently protects the interests of the City of San Francisco and its residents; and,
WHEREAS, as currently drafted, the proposed legislation does not adequately address significant public health concerns relating to the control of tobacco; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation insufficiently guarantees that the tobacco companies will not target young people to smoke; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation undermines the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate and control nicotine in cigarettes; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation could preempt certain existing State consumer protection statutes and other legislation under which enforcement actions can be brought against the tobacco companies in the State of California; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation ignores the global impact of tobacco use; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed legislation does not ensure that all relevant documents of the tobacco companies are timely disclosed; and,
WHEREAS, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has been a leading voice in the tobacco control movement; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, the Health Commission hereby urges the Board of Supervisors to oppose the current proposal to settle lawsuits against the tobacco companies presented to Congress and President Clinton.
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the Health Commission at its meeting of Tuesday, August 5, 1997.
Sandy Ouye Mori Executive Secretary to the Health Commission