It will be the first time the government has gone beyond warning labels and taxes if the rule goes through.
For the first time in history the Food and Drug Administration plans to regulate the level of nicotine in cigarettes, attempting to bring it down to “non-addictive” levels. The move, announced Friday, was praised by scientists — who also noted that there’s no consensus on what a “non-addictive” level of nicotine is. (Swetlitz, 7/31))
The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it wants to reduce the nicotine in cigarettes to make them less addictive. The unexpected announcement sent shares of tobacco companies plummeting and sparked praise among some public health advocates. If successful, the effort would be the first time the government has tried to get the Americans to quit cigarettes by reaching beyond warning labels or taxes to attacking the actual addictive substance inside. (McGinley, 7/28)
The Food and Drug Administration also said it would encourage smokers to switch to products such as e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco that are less dangerous than cigarettes. The so-called harm-reduction strategy is a break by the U.S. government from an abstinence-only approach to fighting tobacco-related diseases and deaths. (Maloney, 7/28)