http://www.sjmercury.com/codes/N/docs/N961.htm

Study shows influence of tobacco contributions

WASHINGTON (AP) Lawmakers who received contributions from tobacco
companies were three times more likely to have voted to block spending to
help states fight cigarette sales to minors, says a new analysis by smoking
foes.

The Food and Drug Administration has requested $34 million to distribute to
states to enforce new federal rules intended to prevent teenage tobacco
sales.

The full Senate is expected to decide, possibly this week, how much
antitobacco money to provide to the FDA.

An attempt to provide the full amount was blocked in July. A Senate
committee voted to provide just $4.9 million, and the full Senate voted
5248 to turn back an amendment by Sen. Tom Harkin, DIowa, that would have
added the remaining funds.

Now, an analysis of campaign contributions from tobacco companies shows
that senators who opposed Harkin's amendment had received 15 times more
tobacco money during the last election year than did supporters of the FDA
funding.

The Campaign for TobaccoFree Kids said that of the 47 senators who had
received money from the tobacco industry, 83 percent voted to table
Harkin's amendment. Of the 53 senators who took no tobacco money, just 25
percent voted to table the amendment.

The pattern held true in the House, too. A House committee has voted to
give the FDA $24 million to fight teen smoking, and an amendment for the
full $34 million was defeated. Lawmakers who voted against the money took,
on average, five times as much money from the tobacco industry as their
colleagues, the financial analysis found.

Posted at 1:16 a.m. PDT Tuesday, September 2, 1997