The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has put forth a proposed rule aiming to significantly reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products. This move, if implemented, could make these products minimally or non-addictive, potentially saving lives and lessening the burden of smoking-related illnesses.
The FDA's proposal, announced in 2018 and formally proposed this week, seeks to establish a maximum nicotine level of 0.7 milligrams per gram of tobacco. This is considerably lower than the current average nicotine concentration in cigarettes available in the U.S. market.
President Biden's FDA is aiming to reduce nicotine in cigarettes. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D., emphasized the potential benefits of the proposal, suggesting it could discourage young people from starting to smoke and assist current smokers in quitting or transitioning to less harmful alternatives.
While the FDA clarifies that the proposed rule wouldn't outright ban cigarettes, it has sparked concerns. Some experts believe that lowering nicotine levels could inadvertently benefit black market cigarette sales run by criminal organizations. This could lead to increased violence and expose consumers to unregulated and potentially more dangerous tobacco products.
Cigarettes. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
This initiative follows the Biden administration's previous attempt to ban menthol cigarettes, a plan that faced public opposition and was ultimately delayed. Critics argued that the menthol ban disproportionately affected minority communities and could fuel illicit sales. Similar concerns have been raised about the potential ramifications of lowering nicotine levels in regular cigarettes, drawing parallels to the Massachusetts menthol ban, which has reportedly led to an increase in illegal menthol cigarette sales.
The Biden administration's proposal follows a previous attempt to ban menthol cigarettes. (Getty Images)
The FDA's authority to regulate tobacco products stems from the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act signed in 2009. This latest proposal to lower nicotine levels echoes earlier efforts under previous administrations to reduce smoking rates and improve public health.
