It is very much the standard. Take a look at the ‘Bills’ section of the page. Or go to Thomas at the LOC and pick a topic or sponsor. Try reading the tax code some time.

I don’t find that last part comforting at all. It’s a red flag. It (and the like) are put into all kinds of bills because the author knows something there is questionable. By putting that there it makes it seem like a one off instead of something they could or would do to anything. History shows that is not the case.

Under article I, section 8 of the Constitution, the Congress is vested with the responsibility for regulating interstate commerce and commerce with Indian tribes.

This is BS:

Reducing the use of tobacco by minors by 50 percent would prevent well over 10,000,000 of today’s children from becoming regular, daily smokers, saving over 3,000,000 of them from premature death due to tobacco induced disease. Such a reduction in youth smoking would also result in approximately $75,000,000,000 in savings attributable to reduced health care costs.

Smokers cost us less money than people who keep on living, collecting pensions and benefits well into old age.

(34) Because the only known safe alternative to smoking is cessation, interventions should target all smokers to help them quit completely.

So cause I’m into auto erotic asphyxiation and the only safe way to do it is not to do it, the government should help me quit?

Tobacco products have been used to facilitate and finance criminal activities both domestically and internationally. Illicit trade of tobacco products has been linked to organized crime and terrorist groups.

This is because you can make a mint selling cigarettes illegally since we tax the hell out of them. Anything that has a huge mark up will be sold on the black market.

Permitting manufacturers to make unsubstantiated statements concerning modified risk tobacco products, whether express or implied, even if accompanied by disclaimers would be detrimental to the public health.

I agree with this one.

After reading through most of the bill (it’s freakin’ huge) the Secretary has a ton of power. It seems he can ban just about any advertisements and demand stuff that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce. Your only recourse seems to be to petition him and then go to judicial review. Also it seems to explicitly ban flavored cigarettes (unless I’m misreading it). What’s the deal with that? One thing that is kind of comforting was this:

Intended Effect.–Nothing in this Act (or an amendment made by this Act) shall be construed to–(1) establish a precedent with regard to any other industry, situation, circumstance, or legal action; or (2) affect any action pending in Federal, State, or Tribal court, or any agreement, consent decree, or contract of any kind.

I don’t know if this is standard fare for Bills as this is the first one I’ve really read.