Ashdown Pledges No Tobacco $, Will Support FDA Legislation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2006
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brett Garner (brett@peteashdown.org)
Office: (801) 983-7383

*****PRESS RELEASE*****

Ashdown Pledges No Tobacco $, Will Support FDA Legislation

ST. GEORGE, UT--Pete Ashdown, Democratic nominee for the US Senate in
Utah, today agreed to reject all campaign funds from tobacco companies
and to support legislation that grants the Food and Drug Administration
authority to regulate tobacco products.  "I believe to represent Utah
you have to represent her values; taking money from tobacco companies
does not represent Utah values," Ashdown said.

Yesterday, the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund called on Ashdown to
"formally pledge to reject tobacco contributions and support effective
FDA legislation."  Ashdown, a Bountiful native and founder of XMission,
Utah's first Internet service provider, agreed to the pledge, saying:
"Of all the states whose representatives should abhor tobacco money, it
should be Utah."  Utah consistently has the lowest tobacco use rates in
the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System.

Ashdown also pledged to support legislation to place tobacco under FDA
regulation, and hoping to end the political patronage tobacco has
enjoyed since our nation's inception.  "If we are ever going to
drastically reduce tobacco consumption in the US, it requires informed
consumers; FDA regulation will require tobacco companies to tell the
truth about their ingredients, like any other product," Ashdown said. 
Noting the Massachusetts Department of Health reported last month
that tobacco companies have significantly increased nicotine content in
cigarettes since 1998, Ashdown said "cigarettes should have the same
labeling requirements that breakfast cereal and other products have."

Ashdown will be holding an event at the Painted Pony Restaurant,
Ancestor Square, 2 West St. George Blvd, in St. George from 3 PM to 5
PM. He will also be in the Santa Clara Swiss Days and Southern Utah
University Homecoming Parades on Saturday.  Further events next week in
Tooele, Vernal, and Layton are noted on the campaign calendar.