September 11, 1996
Contact: Mark Pfeiffer
(502) 564-2611

Frankfort, Ky. - Governor Paul Patton said today, "We have opened up an effective, meaningful dialogue with the White House toward finding a legislative solution to underage access to tobacco."

On Wednesday morning in Washington, the Governor along with state Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith, and representatives from Senator Wendell Ford's and Congressman Scotty Baesler's offices met with Jack Quinn, Chief Counsel for President Clinton, to begin discussions of a legislative alternative to the Food and Drug Administration regulation of tobacco.

"We reiterated our position against the FDA's authority to regulate tobacco as a drug," the Governor said, "And our support for Senator Ford's and Congressman Baesler's proposed legislation that would accomplish the same purpose of restricting tobacco use by minors."

The Governor emphasized that today's meeting was, "a starting point" and that details of any proposed legislation would be discussed in future meetings.

Governor Patton has stated that he supports President Clinton's goal to restrict underage access to tobacco but believes it should be done through legislative action rather than FDA regulation.