Senate Panel OKs FDA Regulation Of Tobacco

Landmark Bill Would Require FDA To Restrict Ads, Regulate Warning Labels And Remove Hazardous Ingredients

(CBS/AP)  A Senate committee Wednesday embraced legislation that would for the first time allow federal regulation of cigarettes.

The bill, approved 13-8 by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, would require the Food and Drug Administration to restrict tobacco advertising, regulate warning labels and remove hazardous ingredients.

The agency also would be given the authority to set standards for products that tobacco companies advertise as "reduced risk" products.

"There are close to 70 known cancer-causing agents in tobacco products, Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes. "Today no one has the authority to tell a tobacco company to take any of them out."

"This is an enormous step forward," said Myers. "This could end up being the signature public health action this Congress takes."

The bill has broad bipartisan support in the Senate, where more than 50 senators have signed on as co-sponsors. A similar bill passed the chamber in 2004 but was blocked in the House.

The tobacco legislation was crafted through several years of negotiations led by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., involving health groups and tobacco giant Philip Morris, which broke from its competitors to endorse FDA regulation.

The bill would allow the FDA to reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes, but only Congress could permanently ban them.

Misleading terms like "light," "mild" or "low tar" would also have to be eliminated, reports Cordes.

The committee adopted an amendment by Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., that would ban clove cigarettes, reversing a controversial decision by Kennedy to allow the FDA to make that decision.

Kennedy, the panel's chairman, said he was responding to several senators who contacted him with concerns that a ban on cloves would not be compliant with World Trade Organization rules. But Kennedy agreed to the ban after several senators objected.

Most cloves are marketed in Asia, and Philip Morris, a unit of New York-based Altria Group Inc., recently launched a Marlboro cigarette flavored with cloves in Indonesia.

Kennedy said at the meeting that Philip Morris had "nothing to do with our decision" and he supported the clove ban as long as it is WTO compliant.

Phillip Morris argues the bill would "bring predictability and clear standards to the tobacco industry," an industry that over the past decade has been besieged by lawsuits and public resentment, reports Cordes.

Philip Morris' competitors are strongly opposed to the overall bill, saying it would lock in Philip Morris's dominant market share. The panel rejected several amendments by Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who represents R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in his home state of North Carolina. Kennedy said Burr's amendments would undermine the legislation.

After the hearing, Burr said he would not rule out trying to hold up the bill on the Senate floor.

Enzi, the top Republican on the panel, also opposes the legislation and has objected to Philip Morris' involvement.

"If this bill is good for big tobacco, how can it be good for public health?" Enzi asked after the hearing. "The fact is, it can't. This bill is nothing more than a 'Marlboro Protection Act,' written to keep Philip Morris at the top of the tobacco market."

Enzi has introduced his own bill that would aim to greatly shrink the size of the tobacco market over the next 20 years.

[simpsonman19]

Tobacco, now FDA approved!

[rushman71]

Condumism: You overlooked the comment of this one Repub,"If this bill is good for big tobacco, how can it be good for public health?," Enzi asked after the hearing. "The fact is, it can't. This bill is nothing more than a 'Marlboro Protection Act,' written to keep Philip Morris at the top of the tobacco market."

[klingon69]

Here are the NEOCON Senators up for reelection in 2008 that support Big Tobacco, who's unregulated cigarettes kills 1200 American daily. And, these bought and paid for Neocons vote against stem cell research:

Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN)
Allard, Wayne- (R - CO)
Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)
Cornyn, John- (R - TX)
Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)
Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
Dominici, Pete- (R - NM)
Enzi, Michael B.- (R - WY)
Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)
McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY)
Roberts, Pat- (R - KS)
Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL
Stevens, Ted- (R - AK)
Warner, John- (R - VA)
Posted by Condumism at 04:36 PM : Aug 01, 2007

Hey prophylactic;
Did anyone twist the arms of those 1200 per day and make them smoke? NO!!!
Warning labels are posted on every pack of cigarettes. I remember that from the 60s forward. Also in the late 60s/early 70s when the Feds made tobacco advertisewrs take their ads off TV and radio. So govt has been trying to stop big tobacco for a long time.
Since Ted (open borders) Kennedy is chairing the committee, I wouldn't trust the decision for one nanosecond.

[greeneyes222]

Whatever they're smoking, it's sure not tobacco and I want some. If the FDA can't be bothered to inspect food from China for safety, how do they plan to make this work? Read more paperwork?

[random_radar]

The government makes money off cigarette taxes, so of course they don't want to ban them. They want them to be safer so the tax paying customers will stay alive to pay taxes.

The government makes money off the war on drugs by unconstitutionally seizing property from accused drug dealers. They don't want to win the war on drugs, they just want your kids to survive to keep buying drugs so they can seize more property.

The government is not your friend and protector. The government is your master and oppressor. As long as you run to the government overlords for help, they will gladly enslave you more and more.

[pwrslm]

Our Government is full of hypocricy. They let Coke put Coke in their Coke for years, then outlawed Coke, about the same time they outlawed alchohol. They outlawed drugs for the drug companies, not to save our lives, or the lives of our children. Keeping them illegal is no more than a challenge to the people who want to use them and a guarantee that the rich will get richer, the government learned that during prohibition. Pot is not a threat to society, no more than Alchohol or Tobacco is. Other drugs are abused by addicts that would still be addicts, just not in our jails. It doesnt matter that the drugs are legal or not. Our Government knows that. Prisons are full of people who dont belong there, drug prosecution does not change people, just like prohibition didnt change them either.

Its hypocricy to outlaw this drug and that drug, and let a billion dollar industry make all the money selling drug perscriptions, or hundreds of millions selling alchohol, or tobacco. The are all drugs. Removing access restrictions to those drugs would do 2 things, it would create a huge boon to the economy, and people would be better educated against thier abuse.

The government would win on both ends. This is being done effectively in Amsterdam, and has been for decades.

[one_american]

This bit of silly legislation only opens the door for families of lung cancer victims to turn around and sue the government, which will become liable if the FDA is regulating cigarettes...

[louisescheir]

I'm a smoker. In my opinion, leave us alone.

[micma-2009]

If the tobacco companies use an extremely narcotic (nicotine) to enhance their product and get people hooked, then why shouldn't the FDA regulate them?

[downtowner97]

If you are a smoker, you don't leave us alone. You fill our lungs with smoke against our will, leave your stinking trail everywhere we go, and increase the cost of our health insurance. Why not just smear your own ***** on yourselves. You'll still stink, but you won't hurt our health.

[scottyusa]

"If you are a smoker, you don't leave us alone. You fill our lungs with smoke against our will, leave your stinking trail everywhere we go, and increase the cost of our health insurance. Why not just smear your own ***** on yourselves. You'll still stink, but you won't hurt our health.
Posted by downtowner97 at 07:17 PM : Aug 01, 2007



Kiss my ars pal

[luvcomments]

I've smoked for 50 years.....my stupidity and the cigarette companies' deviousness. When I started, we didn't know they were dangerous. For decades, I've wished to God cigarettes were illegal. Sick of all the fed and state governments pretending they're against it, making smoking illegal here, illegal there, illegal about everywhere but too damned greedy to make cigarettes themselves illegal and lose all that tax money. Bunch of hypocrites. They don't care about people's health or the cost of resulting health care, just a bunch of talk to appease those against smoking. I wish I were stronger and could quit.... I am totally hooked physically and psychologically on the stinking things. If the gums and patches actually worked, maybe I could. But that's probably another scam by those concerned only with their greed. Just like these cigarette and pharmaceutical companies, (and countless others) are hooked on the industry of lobbying - which has Congress up to it's shoulders in muck. It's all greed, greed, greed. One thousand lobbyists paid to twist Congressmen's arms to prevent Medicare being able to dicker on the price of medications !!!!! Lobbying should be criminalized. Yes, I know, and I should be smarter and have more will or won't power.

[jeepmanjr]

I'm not against smoking at all, that is, as long as you do it far, far, far away from anyone who doesn't. Isn't tht simple? Oh yeah, and don't expect me, the American tax payer, to help pay for your medical bills when you're lying in your death bed gasping for your last breath of air while your beloved habit chokes the life out of you. We all make choices good and bad. And that's OK as long as it's a personal choice and it doesn't affect anyone else. Yes, I think smoking is your right. But the subsequent problems are YOUR responsibility as well (never mind how your self-inflicted death affects your family and friends - who cares, right? It's your right!). Step up to the plate smokers. Your nasty habit, your nasty problem. He, he...I don't see a problem!! And come to think of it, if our Gov says smoking is so bad, why isn't it illegal? Why does it have to be Gov regulated? Just one more way to get into the pockets of Americans. The whole lot here makes me want to vomit!!!! Enjoy your smokes!!

[jeepmanjr]

luvcomments, you and the other smokers here need to grow a pair and address your problem. Greed? Hell yes!! It worked for the tobacco companies - you were easy enough for them. I used to smoke a pack a day back in my USMC days. Well, one day I wised up and gave that new pack of Marlboro Lights (in the box!) away. I haven't touched the damned things since. So...stop yer ******** and blaming everyone but yourself. If you don't have the gonads get some help. The bottom line: Your habit...address it!!

[condumism]

Klingon69 belched:

Hey prophylactic; Did anyone twist the arms of those 1200 per day and make them smoke? NO!!!

Hey Condummy, ie: YOU are a great contributor to the dumbing of the USA! I'd guess that you're a belligerent fascist that voted for those lying GOPigs: Ronald REagan and GW Bush, and you hate the US government to the point that you have no clue as to what is fact, or fiction. Finally, our US Congress has overcome the influence of the special interest corporations that control your GOP Fascist party. There comes a time in any civilized society that the government must step in to do what's right for the masses, and not just for the priviliged few.

Support Barack Obama for President, the ONLY CANDIDATE to declare he will ban all corporate and foreign lobbyists from the US Congress. Until this is done, America is FVCKED as a nation.

[luvcomments]

jeepmanjr

You are absolutely correct and I thought I had addressed my own stupidity and lack of willpower, did I not? Also, it would be great if I'd only smoked one pack a day, especially lights (although I hear they are not actually lights). I still think that with all the hypocritical blah-blah by the governments going on about smoking and how dangerous it is, why don't they ban it and forego the tax income? Like they do re heroin and etc. Just because I am responsible for my smoking, that doesn't negate the eager and greedy schemes by the manufacturers and the complicity of the governments.

[scottyusa]

A little satire
I am 57 and smoked since I was 14. I never, even back then, smoked in front of anyone. When I first started I would go out behind the barn or out in the woods as to not offend anyone. Of course my parents (both smokers) hadn't known of my little excursions. They bought the cigs by the carton and never missed a pack every now and then because they were cheap. Now we always know how many packs should be in that box! In any case, as I grew up I continued not smoking next to people like in airplanes and theaters. My efforts to try and not offend the minority non smokers had gone unnoticed. Now everybody has to do what I have been doing for years and they don't get credit eiher. Go figure

[jeepmanjr]

luvcomments:

Absolutely!! But meanwhile, there are folks who spend waaaay too much money on tobacco products. In other words, YOU are supporting this big brother BS. If no one bought tobacco products, #1: They'd be a Hell of a lot healthier, #2: Big Brother wouldn't have tobacco products to tax. Get it? Guilt does not totally lie with the Gov. They're exploiting what you, and others like you, provide to them. Reach down and grab a hold luvcomments like many before you and help put an end to this nonsense!! Your grandchildren may thank you!! Have a nice day!

[bobgee_1999]

downtowner97:

Guess what comes out of a cigarette? Carbon monoxide. Guess what is produced when you burn fossil fuels? Carbon momoxide.

With several hundred million registered vehicles on the road in America and only 50 million or so smokers, I'm much more concerned about the foul stench and poison that comes out of a car's rear-end than a smoker's mouth.

The anti-smoking crusade is a bandwagon feelgood movement which allows hate speech, bigotry and discrimination without being politically incorrect. Smoking does, however, suck.

[luvcomments]

jeepmngr
Will try hard again with the goal of succeeding. Thanks for your shove in that direction, appreciate it. And, of course, I do know how I am helping BB amass the tax money which is why I'm so mad at the hypocrisy....they know how hard it is to quit and how hazardous to people's health it is (smokers and secondhand smoke) yet they still dangle it in front of us....thanks in large part to the lobbyists. Thank you again.

[donnie900]

addiction? *big sigh*.. Addiction is a mysterious thing. Mutual concern isn't bad.. I mean its not bad for other people to tell the people they're concerned about to stop their bad habits. But habits are far more personal than an anecdote or a rhetoric.. or even a law. Ya see, thats the problem with legislating morality. It only advertises bad habits. Its like a perpetual machine that just.. keeps going and going and going.. like diet pills.

You can't stop people from doing bad habits. You have to let them stop themselves. They have to want it. And not just say they want it, to get ya off their backs. They have to really really want it.. Or its never going to go away. In fact, it'll have the opposite effect. And smoking is an excellent example. People who quit for like, a year and then start back up again, do more damage than if they never quit at all.

[donnie900]

It has to be up to the individual. There are too many substances today. There's tobacco, marijuana, cockane, steriods, alcohol, gambling, and umpteen other things that people have to reconcile for themselves, or all you do is make it worse. Thats all you do.. Ya end up being weird fathers and mothers.

Its like terrorism. You can try to fight it. You can show the shockiest.. aweiest.. most scariest ************ firework show this planet has ever saw. And it ain't gonna do noth'n.. but make it worse. Indeed, it perpetuates itself.

Leave people alone, folks. Let them decide for themselves. Give them their consciences back. Stop living vicariously thru others. Stop being so controlling of others. Worry about yourselves. This century.. this new century will not stand for your old ways. It simply will not.

Saint Thomas Aquinas said it the best: "Git outa de ******* light ************.. it don't need you."

[donnie900]

If not one extreme: The weirdo right wing war on drug / war on terror lunatic. Than the other: The "lets tax everybody's bad habit".

There's no common sense anymore.. Ya see, common sense tells me that if there's a stranger I don't know? Whose smoking? And its a bad habit? I ain't got no right at all to tell that person to stop smoking. Not one iota of a right.

But common sense is gone! Its gone. It got chased away by carpetbagger rhetoric. Carpetbaggers who think they gotta right to take away other people's right to conscience.

[brianbwb-2009]

I smoke fine cigars, and blended pipe tobacco, and years ago, I smoked marijuana, unrepentantly and unashamedly, because I enjoy it. I don't smoke in other people's environments, so I only "harm" myself. I don't care what others think of my "habit", and frankly resent anyone else, be it government, or "concerned" anti smoking activists, trying to dictate how I may enjoy my life.

Spend your lobby money helping to stop illegal wars, fixing the education and health care systems, rebuilding and modernizing the roads, bridges, and communications systems, actually do something meaningful with those dollars, rather than wasting all your millions trying to control me, because you will never succeed.

[brianbwb-2009]

I forgot to be specific, I smoke fine Cuban cigars.

By the way, CBS, your Hilton ads taking over my screen I, and probably many others, find extremely annoying, we see the Hilton name enough without push ads disrupting our enjoyment of your otherwise good website. Please switch to a less intrusive and disturbing advertising method...

[gunownerdan]

Regulating marijuana would solve many problems.
Prohibition will never work!
www.leap.cc
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

[realpatriot1]

I'm the son of a woman who smoked unfiltered Camels for years and who ultimately contracted emphyzema. She spent the last 10 years of her life connected to an oxygen tank and confined to a couch in her apartment.

When I would visit her, she would pull the oxygen tube away from her mouth and light up. The oxygen would explode, I would jump out of my seat, but she was so used to it that she wouldn't bat an eye. I know how highly addictive cigarettes are and what a monumental struggle it is for people trying to quit.

The issue here isn't about compounding the punishment of smokers by further efforts to make them outcasts. It isn't about outlawing cigarettes
or eliminating entirely the risk of smoking.

It's about eliminating additives that exacerbate the negative health effects without improving the "smoking experience". Is there a real crying need to have polyurethane in cigarettes?

Cigarettes, pot, and alcohol should all be legal and available but controlled and a significant portion of the sales proceeds should be used towards the health, cessation,education, and regulatory needs of society resulting from their use.

[kpokey]

Isn't it amazing that this whole article is about law makers fighting between each other, because THEIR TOBACCO COMPANY is not being treated fairly? It's not law makers, whom we elect, fighting for the health and well being of the people of the USA. That should tell you all you need to know. It's fascism...government for the corporation by the corporation. That's what fascism is.

[pwrslm]

Regulating marijuana would solve many problems.
Prohibition will never work!
www.leap.cc
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Posted by GunOwnerDan

Gee, you would think that the government would learn that from experience, but its beyond a learning issue. The powers that run Tobacco and Alchohol lobbied very successfuly for the last 80 or so years. Every other drug that would compete with thier virtual empires are illegal.

So who cares? They are railroading people into prisons for doing the same thing with a different choice of drug, taxing our butts to the hilt and playing like they are actually accomplishing something.

The truth is, the War on Drugs is a sham, they can not stop drug trafficing, otherwise they would have. Its all a lie, financed by the Taxpayers, to insure that the Tobacco and Alchohol industries get the lions share of the addicts money.

[kpokey]

And what's with the banning of cloves? Is it because they are so dangerous or is it because some law maker doesn't want the competition from clove cigarettes? Do a better job of reporting, please.

[gkc99]

Let's see, a bunch of DRUG PRODUCERS pay big money to a corrupt government to protect their growers, and the crooked pols provide cover to the DOPE GROWERS.

Colombia? Afghanistan? Nope, the USA!

Tobacco should be more illegal than pot, by far. It does 100 times the damage, ruins lives, kills millions, but THOSE POOR VIRGINIA DRUG GROWERS (who pay off Repugs and Dems alike).

Regulate tobacco and nicotine the same way as other addictive narcotics, and it would be in Schedule I with the heroin.

Nothing is more phony than the "Drug War" so beloved of neocons. The US government makes trillions off the addiction of tobacco slaves.

[realpatriot1]

gkc99,

When I moved to rural North Carolina 10 years ago the golden leaf was everywhere. Since the buyout, it's harder to find it on tobacco road than Seven-Pesos.

These days it's grown abroad.

kpokey,

Good point. When they did have the quota buyout it was quite interesting to see that the majority of the quota holders receiving the buyouts weren't mom and pop farmers but huge corporations and many of the same Congressmen who are ******** about regulation now.

[brianbwb-2009]

Ban clove imports? Madagascar cloves are the primary "secret" flavoring ingredient in coca cola, and cloves in general are used to nail the pineapple slices to your thanksgiving turkey. Really, ask Grandma.

I think everyone involved in the clove ban has lost their minds.

[condumism]

S_Temper belched:

There is no room for government theft of corporate profits in the free-market. That behavior is more like socialism or communism.

The Scum that you are trying to protect known as Big Tobacco hav raised the amount of highly addictive nicotine in cigs by 30%, with ZERO OVERSIGHT! Tobacco products serve NO PURPOSE anywhere on earth, except to enrich the pockets of the Fascists Southern Hypocrits that control the Repuglicon Party. American's have had enough of these unrestricted free markets. It is past due time to level the playing field and protect the dumber than nails American consumer from these Fascist Scumbags: aka: the Repuglicon Party of Liars and Thieves.

Vote Barack Obama for PResident: the only candidate to declare that he will ban all Corporat and Foreign Lobbyists from the Halls of Congress! Until this is done, America will remain a land of self-centered fools.

[republic1776]

The Govenment who is supposed to be our elected servents tightens it grip like a snake. (and we're paying for this?)

[gkc99]

Cloves? They will be outlawed because they might smell like pot smoke.

Nicotine? It will not be outlawed because the addictive drug has the support of Republicans.

[navyretired2]

"If you are a smoker, you don't leave us alone. You fill our lungs with smoke against our will, leave your stinking trail everywhere we go, and increase the cost of our health insurance. Why not just smear your own ***** on yourselves. You'll still stink, but you won't hurt our health.
Posted by downtowner97 at 07:17 PM : Aug 01, 2007"

And I suppose you're the model of human health and fitness right? Perfect condition, no body fat, no illnesses ever, don't even need innoculations?

I started smoking when I joined the Navy, and I've had less doctor's visits since then (over 20 years ago) than most 1 year olds today. Tell me how I'm raising your insurance costs?

Get off the holier than thou garbage. Your glass house isn't immune. EVERY type of doctor's or hospital visit raises health insurance...because guess what...the INDUSTRY ITSELF raises health insurance to pocket more of everybody's money. Smokers pay a higher premium for health insurance than non-smokers, so cry somewhere else.

Bothers me at times to smell people who overdose on cologn and perfume that I don't like...ban the industry!!

[condumism]

S_Temper, a Southern Neocon Fascist blurted her support for a fascist America, all here for the entire world to see. Your imbecelic, hate filled remarks gave you away, girly!

[drinuk]

It is about time the Baccy companies were forced to stop impregnating both the tobacco and the paper with dangerous chemicals. Let's have plain old tobacco which if it stops burning we can re-light. It is almost certain that someone smoking twenty a day for twenty years has inhaled enough cordite to fire a tank shell and all to make them burn quickly.
It is these chemicals which have been causing so much lung damage and seriously effecting passive smokers. Do it and Do it Now, it's long overdue.

[condumism]

Posted by S_Temper

We've actually done very well, while socialist Utopias like the USSR and Cuba have reverted into third-world countries.

Uh? Russia is more like a 2nd world country, with a far more educated populace than the USA has ever had. They have their problems, for sure, but their culture outshines America anyday of the week. They are atheist's. but far more christian as a whole than America could ever dream of becoming. Same with Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic Republics. And yes, American's are dumber than nails, and now clearly the most pathetic, cultureless society on the planet. How do you like being the most hated people on earth? You likely are without a clue, and as most condumbs, I'm certain that you could care less.

[michellem99-2009]

scottyusa,Thank you for your kindness. Now on to the son who Mum scared the hell of him. My Dad is sick and it was smoking and in the 50s the Army got him smoking at 17. Gram had to sigh the papers. My Dad is on oxyren 24/7. He is 72. Love him. He quit cold turkey. His wife-to-be goes out doors to smoke.
My room mate ,56 used to smoke and like Scotty was mindful of others. In 00 he had his first of 5 heart attacks,has diabetes now does the shots,copd,can't sleep that well.His people got him smoking at a young age. He quit cold turkey.
I know the car is nasty ,what comes out the tapl pike. I cough awful when they pass me as does a burning cigerette. It is ban in our home. I am 52 and hate 2rd hand smoke I choose not to smoke.

[catt42701]

There is so much more important things that need to be done and they are spending time trying to regulate the tobacco industry. What about regulating the auto industry so we can get vehicles that get more miles to the gallon and the coal industry so that they have to recover the pollutants they put into the air. No, they are going to regulate tobacco. They tried something similar with alcohol and we all know how that ended up.

[grammawhamma]

Did Barack Obahma quit smoking yet or is he still in the closet??

[sjc_1]

Nicotine is an addictive drug and smoking is a very dirty delivery system that causes lung and heart disease for more than 200,000 people each and every year. They are finding out that toxins can cause a change in the epigenome. This causes mutations in cell reproduction and may be a leading cause of diseases like cancer. YES, I think they should regulate cigarettes and should have done so decades ago. The proof was overwhelming and if the Republicans we not so bought off by the tobacco industry we would have had these laws long ago and saved millions of people's lives.

[brianbwb-2009]

Everybody, "left" and "right", there is a serious problem created with this legislation it seems you are missing;

"Kennedy, the panel's chairman, said he was responding to several senators who contacted him with concerns that a ban on cloves would not be compliant with World Trade Organization rules. But Kennedy agreed to the ban after several senators objected."

Ban on cloves? At best this is insanity, now your thanksgiving turkey is illegal if you tack on the pineapple slices with cloves, which pretty much covers everyone who prepares it. Also your next can of coca cola is now illegal, as its primary flavoring ingredient besides sugar, is clove from Madagascar.

America has no clove industry, the clove is a tropical plant, so since when does the FDA control the spice trade, and since when has clove been a drug subject to FDA regulation?...

[brianbwb-2009]

MichelleM99,

Reading your posts indicates almost all, if not all of your family members suffering some debilitating illness, and yourself several.

Have you ever considered you may be living in a "love Canal" type polluted hot spot, and that smoking may be only a minor contributor to your family's many illnesses? I seem to remember a post from you even alleging abusive relatives, this might be a "Hatfield- McCoy" type of inherited genetic disturbance.

Even counting for genetic predisposition, you family seems to suffer an extraordinary amount and variety of serious health issues, perhaps documenting them all might qualify your family for free health care at a research facility, I think doctors would be very interested in your family...