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The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) of the United States has
revealed plans to lower nicotine
levels in cigarettes to what it deems
“non-addictive levels.”
The multi-year plan is the most
prominent development in the
implementation of the 2009
Tobacco Control Act.
FDA Commissioner Gottlieb made
his stance clear:
“…addressing the addictive levels
of nicotine in combustible cigarettes
must be part of the FDA’s strategy
for addressing the devastating
addiction crisis that is threatening
American families.”
The effects were instantly felt by the
tobacco industry, with stocks falling
rapidly across major companies
such as Atria Group Inc (-9.5%) and
British American Tobacco (-7.6)
This is yet another development
on the tobacco industry that comes
hand-in-hand with vaping, and we
could have reason to be optimistic.
The report also says:
“Envisioning a world where
cigarettes would no longer create
or sustain addiction, and where
adults who still need or want
nicotine could get it from alternative
and less harmful sources, needs to
be the cornerstone of our efforts.”
Rather than continue the trend of
shackling vaping to tobacco by
failing to distinguish between the
two (in both public discourse and
enacted policy) the FDA’s statement
said that regulations on e-cigarettes
will be delayed for a few years:
“…applications for newly-regulated
combustible products, such as
cigars, pipe tobacco and hookah
tobacco, would be submitted by
Aug. 8, 2021, and applications for
non-combustible products such
as ENDS or e-cigarettes would be
submitted by Aug. 8, 2022.”
However, the conversation around
e-cigarettes is far from over and
some regulation may still be on
the table. Gottlieb added: “the
agency also will seek input from
the public on a variety of significant
topics, including approaches to
regulating kid-appealing flavors
in e-cigarettes and cigars.”
Nicotine reduction could be a
severe blow for big tobacco. Vaping
is 95% safer than smoking, and the
taste and smell smoke – especially
when compared to e-liquids, is
generally considered unfavourable.
The USA also has various
smoking bans enacted on a
widely varied jurisdictional level.
With these factors at work,
addictiveness is the only leg
cigarettes have left to stand on.
But there are some sceptics of the
move, who fear nicotine reduction
could just result in people smoking
more cigarettes to feed their habit,
or turning to a black market of high-
nicotine cigarettes.
Vaping advocates will have to step
up and make their voice heard, but
an FDA encouraging alternatives is
a win for vaping.
VM13 | 13