New FDA Plan Seeks to Cut Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes

January 19th, 2018

By Matthew Perrone

A new proposal from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would drastically cut nicotine levels in cigarettes and allow other products that deliver nicotine without the deadly side effects of traditional smoking.

“The plan puts the FDA at the center of a long-standing debate over so-called “reduced-risk” products, such as e-cigarettes, and whether they should have a role in anti-smoking efforts, which have long focused exclusively on getting smokers to quit.

“This is the single most controversial — and frankly, divisive — issue I’ve seen in my 40 years studying tobacco control policy,” said Kenneth Warner, professor emeritus at University of Michigan’s school of public health.

The FDA plan is two-fold: drastically cut nicotine levels in cigarettes so that they are essentially non-addictive. For those who can’t or won’t quit, allow lower-risk products that deliver nicotine without the deadly effects of traditional cigarettes.”

 

Read the full article on AP News