Should HHS be Prohibited From Awarding Grants to Study Cigar Flavors & Their Appeal to Young People? (H.R. 6529)

What is H.R. 6529?

(Updated December 11, 2018)

This bill would prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from using federal funds to award a grant to study cigar flavors in order to understand how different cigar flavors affect the likelihood of young adults beginning to smoke. HHS awarded over $100,000 in taxpayer dollars to research how the flavor of a cigar is related to the likelihood of young adults beginning to smoke.

Argument in favor

While cigar flavors may play a role in enticing young adults to smoke, there’s no need for the federal government to award $100,000 in grants to study the issue. Research on the subject could be worthwhile, just not on the taxpayer’s dime.

Argument opposed

Studying cigar flavors may help HHS understand the public health hazards of flavored tobacco products in cigars and more tobacco products (such as vapes), and to form the most appropriate policy response to these flavored tobacco products.

Impact

Cigars; cigar flavors; and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Cost of H.R. 6529

A CBO cost estimate for this bill is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: This bill is part of sponsoring Rep. Ralph Norman’s (R-SC) Wasteful Wednesdays initiative, in which he introduces new legislation every week aiming to reduce government spending he views as wasteful. 

The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers association has not made a public statement of opposition to this bill, but is watching it on behalf of its membership.

There are no cosponsors of this bill.

Of Note: Other bills Rep. Norman has introduced as part of this initiative include legislation to eliminate the Denali Commission, end a Department of Health and Human Services grant to the University of Alabama that developed a virtual reality platform designed to teach children in China how to cross the street, block the National Endowment for the Arts from funding part of South Dakota State University’s “Historic Hobo Day,” and prohibit the National Science Foundation from studying how Members of Congress interact with each other.

Media:

• WRHI