旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커  � Department of Justice on Testing of Smokeless Tobacco Page 71 �  쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑  � WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Department of Justice �  � announced today that it does not intend to challenge under the antitrust �  � laws a proposal by the leading smokeless tobacco producers in the United �  � States to form a research joint venture to develop uniform analytical �  � methods for measuring the nicotine and moisture content of smokeless �  � tobacco products. Smokeless tobacco products include various types of �  � chewing tobacco and snuff such as loose leaf, plug, twist, and moist or �  � dry snuff. The research joint venture was formed in response to the �  � enactment of the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of �  � 1986, 15 U.S.C. Section 4403, which requires producers of smokeless �  � tobacco products to file reports as to the nicotine content of their �  � products and to a request by the Department of Health and Human Services �  � (HHS) that the companies develop uniform testing methods to report the �  � nicotine and moisture content of their products. The department's �  � position was stated in a letter from J. Mark Gidley, Acting Assistant �  � Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division, to counsel for the �  � joint venture. A file containing the business review request and the �  � department's response may be examined in the Legal Procedure Unit of the �  � Antitrust Division, Room 3233, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. �  � 20530. After 30 days documents supporting will be added to the file. �  읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸