August 21, 2009

Longtime HIV Doc Named New Tobacco Regulator at FDA

Lawrence “Bopper” Deyton, MD, MSPH, for many years one of the greatest advocates for research and care for veterans living with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), has been named by President Obama to the newly created post of director of the Center for Tobacco Products at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to reporting by The New York Times.

Deyton, who is currently the chief public health and environmental hazards officer at the Veterans Health Administration, has years of experience coordinating services and research on HIV, HCV and other public health issues among veterans. He is also an associate professor at George Washington University, in Washington, DC, and still practices medicine.

The newly created division at the FDA has the power to regulate the sale and advertising of tobacco products, ban ads and force advertisements in stores to become no more than black and white text. The legislation creating the division has been controversial and, not surprisingly, unpopular with the tobacco and advertising industries. The new director will be tasked with building the new division from scratch. A national group representing advertisers has threatened to sue to stop the legislation from going into the effect.

Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, helped craft the legislation to create the new program. “[Deyton] is extraordinarily bright, very committed and highly motivated,” Myers told the Times. “The FDA’s first and most important challenge is to build the center, hire top quality people and set priorities. He’s demonstrated capability in doing those things.”

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