In a bold move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a rule that limits the levels of nicotine in cigarettes.
The rule would reduce the amount of nicotine in "combusted tobacco products" like cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco, to "minimally or nonaddictive levels," said the FDA in a statement released Wednesday.
The rule, which does not ban tobacco products, would cap nicotine at 0.7 milligrams per gram.
Based on scientific research, the proposed nicotine level for cigarettes "would be low enough to no longer create or sustain" an addiction to smoking, the FDA said.
If implemented, the rule could prevent 500,000 smoking-related deaths and disease annually.
If the proposal goes into effect, by the year 2100, the new nicotine level standard could prevent nearly 48 million youth and young adults from smoking in the country.
The FDA's rule would reflect other countries stance against smoking.
Belgium banned disposable e-cigarettes, reported France24, and the European Union continues to push for bans on outdoor smoking and vaping through an anti-tobacco bill.
