THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, July 28, 1994                TAG: 9407280010
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A14  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   28 lines

ADMIRABLE ANSWER

In your editorial ``Blowing smoke'' (July 21) you unfairly attribute to Sen. Charles Robb a lack of forthrightness in his response to the recent debate question of whether the Food and Drug Administration should regulate tobacco as a drug.

Rather than ``dodge'' the question, Sen. Robb indicated a willingness to abide by the wisdom of the appropriate regulatory agency, should it ultimately concur with the scientific community that tobacco is, in fact, an addictive drug. I find such a willingness to place the public's health above political expediency admirable indeed, coming from a politician representing a tobacco state.

You erred in crediting the anti-smoking lobby for originating the proposal in question. I recall reading in your newspaper last spring that the FDA first explored the possibility of regulating tobacco.

MARTIN COYNER

Virginia Beach, July 21, 1994 by CNB