US, proposal to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes

2025-01-16 08:25:14Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
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Federal officials released a proposal Wednesday to produce cigarettes that are less addictive by limiting nicotine levels. But the goal, long sought by anti-smoking activists, is unlikely to take effect anytime soon.

The proposed rule by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comes in the final days of President Joe Biden's term, making it less likely that it will actually pass. President-elect Donald Trump and his health care appointees have not commented on the proposal. A similar effort by the agency's commissioner during Trump's first term, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, was withdrawn without approval, VOA reports.

Mr. Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has offered little indication of how the tobacco regulation would strengthen the government's efforts to combat chronic diseases. Even if the proposal is approved by President-elect Trump's administration, tobacco companies such as Reynolds American and Altria are almost certain to challenge it in court, delaying its implementation.

The FDA has been studying the issue for several years. The agency announced Wednesday that reducing nicotine levels would help nearly 13 million current smokers quit within a year. An estimated 48 million more young people would never take up the habit because cigarettes would no longer be addictive, according to the agency.

"This action, if approved and implemented, could save many lives and dramatically reduce the burden of serious diseases, while also saving significant amounts of money," FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.

Under the agency's plan, nicotine in cigarettes would be limited to levels that "could no longer be addictive or maintain addiction in people who smoke."

Companies will have years to reformulate their products after a final rule is released. The agency posted its 334-page proposal online Wednesday morning and said it will accept public comments for nine months before taking any further action.

Anti-tobacco activists support the proposal and have asked Mr. Kennedy Jr. to help implement it, if his nomination is approved by the Senate.

“Regulating tobacco is a critical part of the plans he has proposed to reduce chronic disease and a really important part of the discussions we need to have in this country,” said Chrissie Juliano of the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents the leaders of more than 30 big city health departments.

Smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths a year in the United States, due to cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other smoking-related illnesses. These conditions often take decades to develop and remain high today, despite the continued decline in smoking among adults and adolescents.

The proposal to limit nicotine levels has its roots in sweeping powers given to the FDA by Congress in 2009 to set rules for the tobacco industry. However, the FDA's efforts on nicotine and a host of other tobacco measures, such as adding bold warning labels to cigarette packages, have been stymied for years by lawsuits from the tobacco industry.

Under the law, the agency can set limits on nicotine, but it cannot eliminate it entirely. The nicotine limits proposed Wednesday would apply to cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco, but not to e-cigarettes and other lower-risk products. While many e-cigarettes have not been thoroughly tested, the FDA has deemed some products, including NJOY and Vuse, to be less harmful alternatives for smokers.

Currently, there are no restrictions in the United States on nicotine, which is naturally found in tobacco plants. There are several techniques for removing it, including chemical extraction and plant crossbreeding.

The FDA's latest announcement comes as tobacco use in the United States continues to decline. Last year, smoking rates hit another historic low — just 1 in 9 adults say they currently smoke.

Low-nicotine cigarettes are not a new idea. Several companies, including Philip Morris, experimented with selling the products during the 1980s and 1990s, without much success. In 2019, the FDA authorized a cigarette that contains 95% less nicotine than standard cigarettes.

The FDA has sponsored studies showing that when smokers switch to low-nicotine cigarettes, they smoke less and are more likely to try to quit. This research is considered essential to prove that smokers, if they smoke cigarettes with less nicotine, will not smoke more cigarettes. This was the case with cigarettes that were marketed as “light” and with lower tar levels that were sold in previous decades. These products were later banned, as they deceived consumers./VOA

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