2001 US Code
Title 15 - COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 70 - COMPREHENSIVE SMOKELESS TOBACCO HEALTH EDUCATION
Sec. 4402 - Smokeless tobacco warning

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§4402. Smokeless tobacco warning (a) General rule

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture, package, or import for sale or distribution within the United States any smokeless tobacco product unless the product package bears, in accordance with the requirements of this chapter, one of the following labels:

“WARNING: THIS PRODUCT MAY CAUSE MOUTH CANCER

“WARNING: THIS PRODUCT MAY CAUSE GUM DISEASE AND TOOTH LOSS

“WARNING: THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO CIGARETTES”.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any manufacturer, packager, or importer of smokeless tobacco products to advertise or cause to be advertised (other than through the use of outdoor billboard advertising) within the United States any smokeless tobacco product unless the advertising bears, in accordance with the requirements of this chapter, one of the labels required by paragraph (1).

(b) Label format

The Federal Trade Commission shall issue regulations requiring the label statement required by subsection (a) of this section to appear—

(1) in the case of the smokeless tobacco product package—

(A) in a conspicuous and prominent place on the package, and

(B) in a conspicuous format and in conspicuous and legible type in contrast with all other printed material on the package, and

(2) in the case of advertising subject to subsection (a)(2) of this section—

(A) in a conspicuous and prominent location in the advertisement and in conspicuous and legible type in contrast with all other printed material in the advertisement,

(B) in the following format:

(C) the label statement shall appear in capital letters and the area of the circle and arrow shall be determined by the Federal Trade Commission.

(c) Label display

The Federal Trade Commission shall issue regulations requiring each label statement required by subsection (a) of this section to—

(1) in the case of a smokeless tobacco product package, be randomly displayed by each manufacturer, packager, or importer of a smokeless tobacco product in each 12-month period in as equal a number of times as is possible on each brand of the product and be randomly distributed in all parts of the United States in which such product is marketed, and

(2) in the case of any advertisement of a smokeless tobacco product, be rotated every 4 months by each manufacturer, packager, or importer of a smokeless tobacco product in an alternating sequence in the advertisement for each brand of the product.

(d) Plan

(1) Each manufacturer, packager, or importer of a smokeless tobacco product shall submit a plan to the Federal Trade Commission which specifies the method such manufacturer, packager, or importer will use to rotate, display, and distribute the statements required by subsection (a) of this section in accordance with the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of this section.

(2) The Federal Trade Commission shall approve a plan submitted by a manufacturer, packager, or importer of a smokeless tobacco product under paragraph (1) if such plan provides for the rotation, display, and distribution on smokeless tobacco product packages and advertisements of the statements required by subsection (a) of this section in a manner which complies with this section and the regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.

(e) Application

This section does not apply to a distributor or a retailer of any smokeless tobacco product which does not manufacture, package, or import smokeless tobacco products for sale or distribution within the United States.

(f) Television and radio advertising

Effective 6 months after February 27, 1986, it shall be unlawful to advertise smokeless tobacco on any medium of electronic communications subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission.

(Pub. L. 99–252, §3, Feb. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 30.)

Effective Date

Subsec. (a) effective one year after Feb. 27, 1986, and subsecs. (b) to (e) effective Feb. 27, 1986, see section 11 of Pub. L. 99–252, set out as a note under section 4401 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 4404, 4405, 4406 of this title.