Many in the media speculated the regulations would be held
up in court for the foreseeable future. ABC's Brit Hume:
"Because of the court challenges, these regulations may not take
effect for years, if ever. But polls suggest they are popular"
("World News Tonight," ABC, 8/23). NBC's Jim Miklaszewski:
"White House officials knew all along that this issue would get
tied up in the courts, but by the time it's resolved, President
Clinton would have scored his political points and the November
elections would long be over" ("NBC Nightly News," NBC, 8/23).
PRINCIPALS: Philip Morris Senior VP Steven Parrish: "Clearly
there are serious First Amendment problems with what the [FDA]
has proposed, but I think if we try to get together and find the
common ground and work toward a solution that can take effect
now, we can address a lot of these issues and do it in a way
that's not going to be tied up with litigation about freedom of
speech" ("NBC Nightly News," NBC, 8/23). FDA Commissioner Dr.
David Kessler: "All the regulations fit on one page. They are
eminently reasonable. They are aimed at reducing access. They
are aimed at reducing appeal, reducing the glamour, the fun, the
independence that you see on billboards and advertisements. They
are aimed at preventing kids from starting. That's the focus"
("NBC Nightly News," NBC, 8/23).
