The Food and Drug Administration announced a proposal Wednesday that would require a significant reduction in the amount of nicotine in cigarettes marketed in the United States.
Should the modification be implemented, cigarettes would no longer be able to lure the majority of people into addiction.
Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, told reporters that the cycle of exposure to these harmful chemicals can be broken by lowering the nicotine content of cigarettes and some other combusted tobacco products to a level that no longer causes or maintains addiction.
Over 480,000 Americans lose their lives to smoking every year. Depending on the brand, cigarette nicotine levels might vary greatly, but they typically average 13 mg per cigarette. The FDA’s proposal would set a 0.07 milligram nicotine limit for almost all combustible tobacco products, which include cigarettes, the majority of cigars, and pipe tobacco. That is roughly a 95% decrease.
Officials during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term suggested the potential of a federal regulation scheme for nicotine, despite the fact that the idea was made at the last minute by the departing Biden administration. Therefore, the transition might proceed over the course of the following four years.
During the briefing call, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf stated, “If the goal is to make America healthy again, I can’t imagine anything more important to get done than this.” When Trump assumes office, Biden appointee Califf will resign.
Businesses would have two years to make the required adjustments if the rule were finalized.
E-cigarettes, other vape devices, hookahs, smokeless tobacco products, and nicotine replacement pouches are not included in the FDA’s plan.
According to Dr. Richard Besser, the current president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a former acting director of the CDC, “I do think there is value in reducing harm by helping people avoid becoming addicted to cigarettes,” even if he would rather that use of all of these products decline.
Toxins released by burning tobacco are known to cause heart disease, cancer, and other chronic disorders.The ingredient in cigarettes that makes them so addicting is nicotine.
The biggest threat to people’s health, according to Besser, is the tar and everything surrounding the nicotine. What grabs you, though, is nicotine.
Public health officials generally praised the proposal, but Harold Wimmer, CEO of the American Lung Association, said it falls short.
In a statement, Wimmer urged the FDA to lower the nicotine content of all tobacco products, including all cigars, hookahs, and e-cigarettes, to non-addictive levels.
Teenagers are the starting point for almost all adult smokers. According to FDA projections, if the nicotine cap is approved, it might keep 48 million children and young adults from developing an addiction. Additionally, the agency projects that within a year, around 13 million people will give up smoking.
According to a 2018 study, a nicotine cap would prevent 16 million people from developing a smoking addiction by 2060. According to the report, by 2100, that figure will rise to 33.1 million.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ president and CEO, Yolonda C. Richardson, issued a statement urging the incoming Trump administration to proceed with completing and enforcing this regulation in light of these significant advantages.
The plan from the FDA is a significant step toward achieving a larger vision of how the agency can utilize its authority to assist smokers in moving away from combustible cigarettes, according to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who was FDA commissioner during the first Trump administration.
“There would be a market for properly regulated, non-combustible products like pouches and e-cigarettes that don’t cause all the death and disease associated with smoking,” Gottlieb continued, adding that individuals who still desire nicotine would have access to it.
Vapes and other items not included in the proposed proposal are not necessarily safe as a result.For instance, it is well known that e-cigarettes include additional harmful substances that can aggravate heart disease, lung conditions, and asthma.
According to King, individuals who do not currently use tobacco products should not start doing so right away, and children should not use any tobacco products at all.
Until mid-September, the public will have an opportunity to comment on the FDA plan.