The US government is trying to reduce nicotine levels in all cigarettes supplied to minimally or non-addictive levels, according to officials familiar with the initiative, in a severe blow to the tobacco industry. However, the move, which is scheduled to be revealed next week, will not likely take effect for several years due to a variety of obstacles, according to the newspaper.
Before issuing a final order, the Food and Drug Administration must first detail the proposed regulation and then request public opinions. Furthermore, the tobacco industries would almost certainly take legal action, delaying the policy’s implementation even further. The US government had planned to implement the programme as part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot effort, which aims to cut cancer mortality by at least 50% over the next 25 years.
The action is being hailed as the government’s most significant effort toward reducing smoking since 1998, when tobacco corporations paid more than $200 billion to assist states to pay for healthcare. Nicotine is a substance that is addictive and is contained in cigarettes and other tobacco products. According to the FDA, while nicotine is addictive, it does not cause cancer, heart disease, or lung illness. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, additional hazardous substances in cigarette smoke are responsible for more than 480,000 fatalities in the United States each year.
Since the 1990s, the FDA has been debating how to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes. Nicotine levels in cigarettes can be reduced by a variety of methods. Tobacco leaf blends may be adjusted, and different types of paper or filters can be used. During the production process, nicotine may be extracted from the leaf as well. According to the publication, one firm employs genetic engineering to grow tobacco with 95% less nicotine than a standard tobacco plant.
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