The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a proposal to cap the nicotine content in cigarettes, aiming to make them less addictive. The FDA's plan, if finalized, could potentially help nearly 13 million current smokers quit within a year and prevent around 48 million young people from starting smoking due to reduced addiction levels.
The proposal, which would require companies to reformulate their products within two years of the final regulation, is part of a broader effort to combat smoking-related illnesses that cause over 480,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
While the FDA has been studying this issue for years, the implementation of the rule is uncertain, given the impending change in administration. The proposal does not apply to electronic cigarettes or other lower-risk tobacco products, as the FDA has endorsed some of these as alternatives for smokers.
Antismoking advocates strongly support the FDA's initiative and urge for its implementation to reduce the burden of chronic diseases associated with smoking. The FDA's authority to regulate nicotine in tobacco products stems from legislation passed in 2009, but efforts to enforce such regulations have been hindered by industry lawsuits.
The proposal to limit nicotine in cigarettes is based on scientific research showing that smokers tend to smoke less and are more likely to attempt quitting when using low-nicotine products. This approach differs from past attempts with 'light' and 'low tar' cigarettes, which were banned for being misleading.
As smoking rates in the U.S. continue to decline, the FDA's proposal represents a significant step towards reducing the harm caused by tobacco use. The agency will now accept public comments on the proposal for nine months before further action is taken.
