The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the next step toward the goal of lowering the levels of nicotine in cigarettes to minimal or nonaddictive levels.
The FDA is seeking public comment on the development of a tobacco product standard that would limit the amount of nicotine in cigarettes and related issues. To do so, an advance notice of proposed rulemaking has been published in the Federal Register (March 16, 2018).
In the notice, the FDA announces a review of current scientific understanding about nicotine's role in creating or maintaining addiction to cigarettes and invites comments on questions about maximum nicotine levels, implementation, unintended consequences of these regulations, and more.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, stated that up to 5 million adult smokers may stop smoking within a year after regulations are implemented. The FDA announced a comprehensive approach to the regulation of nicotine in July 2017.
Comments on these issues must be submitted by midnight Eastern time on June 14, 2018. Comments can be submitted here.
