"The tobacco industry has thrived on the business of addiction for decades by turning children into tobacco users with slick marketing tactics and misleading the public about the harms of its deadly products," said John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. "This bill forces Big Tobacco to disclose the poisons in its products and has the power to finally break the dangerous chain of addiction for generations to come."

The Act would require cigarette companies to disclose all ingredients used in cigarettes and to stop using words like "light" and "ultra-light" to give the impression that some tobacco products have a lower health risk. It also includes several provisions aimed at curbing smoking among children and teens. For example, it would require cigarette companies to use black and white lettering for outdoor billboards to reduce the visual allure of ads and prohibit candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes.

"Children can't vote for Members of Congress, but this bill gives Congress a chance to vote for children, 4,000 of whom try their first cigarette every day," said Daniel E. Smith, President of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN), the partner advocacy organization of ACS.

The legislation now goes to the US Senate, where it currently has broad support. If it passes there, it will go to the White House.

Tobacco causes nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States, killing about 440,000 Americans each year. Almost 90% of adult smokers start before the age of 19. For more information, see Questions About Smoking, Tobacco, and Health and Child and Teen Tobacco Use.