Coyne Beahm, Inc. v. United States Food & Drug Administration

966 F. Supp. 1374, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17198
District Court, M.D. North Carolina·Decided April 25, 1997·No. 1:07-m-00020·Published·Cited by 15 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

OSTEEN, District Judge.

This case comes before the court on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment. 1 In August 1996, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) published in the Federal Register “Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents” (“Regulations”). 61 Fed.Reg. 44,396 (1996). Plaintiffs now seek summary judgment claiming that Congress has withheld the authority to regulate tobacco products as customarily marketed from FDA and that the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA” or “Act”) 2 does not authorize FDA to regulate tobacco products as “drugs” or “devices.”

For the reasons discussed herein, Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment will be granted in part and denied in part.

I. DISCUSSION

A. SUMMARY JUDGMENT PRINCIPLES.

Summary judgment is appropriate in those cases where it is established through pleadings, affidavits, depositions, and other discovery documents that there exists no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Thus, it is the burden of the moving party to show the court that no material factual issues exist for trial. Of course, the court must draw any permissible inference from the underlying facts as established in the record in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587-88, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356-57, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986); Pulliam Inv. Co. v. Cameo Properties, 810 F.2d 1282, 1286 (4th Cir.1987).

When the moving party has carried its burden, the nonmoving party must come forward with evidence which shows more than some “metaphysical doubt” that genuine and material factual issues exist. Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 586, 106 S.Ct. at 1356. A mere scintilla of evidence presented by the non-moving party is insufficient to circumvent summary judgment. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. at 2512. Rather, the nonmov-ing party must convince the court that, upon the record taken as a whole, a rational trier of fact could find for the nonmoying party. Id. at 248-49,106 S.Ct. at 2510-11.

B. CONGRESS HAS NOT WITHHELD JURISDICTION TO REGULATE TOBACCO PRODUCTS FROM THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION.

Plaintiffs assert that Congress clearly intended to withhold jurisdiction to regulate tobacco products from FDA. Plaintiffs urge that the general structure and history of the FDCA and three federal statutes which address tobacco products reveal Congress’ intent to reserve to itself the authority to shape federal policy regarding tobacco products and, moreover, that the Regulations directly conflict with and are precluded by the three congressional tobacco-specific statutes.

The court reviews FDA’s construction of the FDCA under the analysis set forth in Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984). The first responsibility is to determine whether Congress has directly spoken to the precise question at issue for “[i]f the intent of Congress is clear, that is the end of the matter.” Id. 467 U.S. at 842, 104 S.Ct. at 2781. If, however, the statute “is silent or ambiguous with re *1380 spect to the specific issue, the question for the court is whether the agency’s answer is based on a permissible construction of the statute.” Id. 467 U.S. at 843, 104 S.Ct. at 2782.

1. Congress Expressed No Clear Intent in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to Withhold Jurisdiction to Regulate Tobacco Products from the Food and Drug Administration.

a. The Text of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The precise question presented to the court is whether Congress has evidenced its clear intent to withhold from FDA jurisdiction to regulate tobacco products as customarily marketed. 3 The inquiry as to whether Congress has directly spoken to the issue should begin with an examination of the text of the FDCA. 4 Mead Corp. v. Tilley, 490 U.S. 714, 722, 109 S.Ct. 2156, 2162, 104 L.Ed.2d 796 (1989); Kofa v. INS, 60 F.3d 1084, 1088 (4th Cir.1995). A product is subject to the FDCA if it meets the statute’s definition of a “food,” “drug,” “device,” or “cosmetic.” See 21 U.S.C. § 321. Rather than itemize each product subject to regulation under the FDCA, Congress defined these categories broadly so that each encompasses a wide range of products.

As will be discussed more fully regarding the second issue raised by Plaintiffs, the court finds that tobacco products fit within the FDCA’s definitions of “drug” and “device.” Therefore, Plaintiffs must prove to the court that Congress has expressed its clear intent to withhold from FDA jurisdiction to regulate tobacco products in some place other than the text of the FDCA,

b. The Legislative History of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Both parties find support for their arguments in the FDCA’s legislative history. Plaintiffs first note that tobacco products not only were highly visible in the years preceding passage of the FDCA, but also were recognized by the federal government as a separate sector of the economy. (Pis.’ First Br.Supp.Mot.Summ.J. at 8-9.) Plaintiffs contend that had Congress meant to place such highly visible and controversial products within FDA’s jurisdiction, the legislative history of the FDCA would reveal some discussion of the matter. FDA, on the other hand, argues that in its enactment of the FDCA in 1938, Congress broadened the scope of the previous food and drug law, and, despite the high visibility of tobacco products, never excluded them from the FDCA’s reach.

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Coyne Beahm, Inc. v. United States Food & Drug Administration, 966 F. Supp. 1374, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17198 (M.D.N.C. 1997).

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Kessler, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Attorneys General of the State of Minnesota State of Alaska State of Arizona State of Arkansas State of Colorado State of Connecticut State of Florida State of Hawaii State of Illinois State of Indiana State of Iowa State of Louisiana State of Kansas State of Maine State of Maryland State of Massachusetts State of Michigan State of Mississippi State of Missouri State of Montana State of Nevada State of New Hampshire State of New Jersey State of New Mexico State of New York State of North Dakota State of Ohio State of Oklahoma State of Oregon State of Pennsylvania State of Rhode Island State of South Dakota State of Texas State of Utah State of Vermont State of Washington State of West Virginia State of Wisconsin City and County of San Francisco Public Citizen the American Academy of Pediatrics American Cancer Society American College of Preventive Medicine American Heart Association American Lung Association American Medical Association American Medical Women's Association American Public Health Association American Society of Addiction Medicine the Hmo Group National Association of Elementary School Principals National Association of Secondary School Principals National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids State of Kentucky Washington Legal Foundation ("Wlf") Mario Andretti Don Garlits Al Unser Rusty Wallace Cale Yarborough Richard Burr, Cass Ballenger, Howard Coble, United States Representatives, Lauch Faircloth, United States Senator, Amici Curiae. 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Kessler, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Attorneys General of the State of Minnesota State of Alaska State of Arizona State of Arkansas State of Colorado State of Connecticut State of Florida State of Hawaii State of Illinois State of Indiana State of Iowa State of Louisiana State of Kansas State of Maine State of Maryland State of Massachusetts State of Michigan State of Mississippi State of Missouri State of Montana State of Nevada State of New Hampshire State of New Jersey State of New Mexico State of New York State of North Dakota State of Ohio State of Oklahoma State of Oregon State of Pennsylvania State of Rhode Island State of South Dakota State of Texas State of Utah State of Vermont State of Washington State of West Virginia State of Wisconsin City and County of San Francisco Public Citizen the American Academy of Pediatrics American Cancer Society American College of Preventive Medicine American Heart Association American Lung Association American Medical Association American Medical Women's Association American Public Health Association American Society of Addiction Medicine the Hmo Group National Association of Elementary School Principals National Association of Secondary School Principals National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids State of Kentucky Washington Legal Foundation ("Wlf") Mario Andretti Don Garlits Al Unser Rusty Wallace Cale Yarborough Richard Burr, Cass Ballenger, Howard Coble, United States Representatives, Lauch Faircloth, United States Senator, Amici Curiae. 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