The US Congress has passed legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco.

The different bills passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate have been reconciled and sent to President Barack Obama for his signature. The president, who has struggled to quit smoking, said he would sign the bill quickly.

The legislation was praised by the American Medical Association, the American Lung Association, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, among other groups.

Nancy Nielsen, president of the American Medical Association, said, “More than 400 000 Americans die needlessly every year as a direct result of tobacco use . . . The sad truth is that tobacco related deaths are the number …