The FDA Seeks to Lower Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes

Just a few weeks ago, at the beginning of spring (2018), the Commissioner of the FDA released a statement that has some people in the pharmaceutical industry on alert. The statement was an advanced notice of intent to begin working towards laws lowering nicotine levels in cigarettes to minimally or non-addictive levels. Here’s what you need to know.

FDA Statistics on Tobacco-Related Fatality and Illness

One of the things quoted in the Commissioner’s statement was statistics regarding the financial burden that cigarette smoking has placed on the American people and the healthcare system. The statement reported that over 480,000 Americans die every year from tobacco use, and that the medical costs for tobacco-related care total 300 billion dollars every year. Another shocking statistic: tobacco is the only legal consumer product that will kill 50% of all users long-term, even when used correctly.

Is the FDA Lowering Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes?

As of right now, there are no changes to the laws regarding nicotine levels. The statement was what is known as an an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) – basically, the FDA is informing the public that they intend to start creating some rules to be voted on at a later date. They cited three main reasons to focus on cigarettes specifically: the toxicity of cigarettes, the addictiveness of cigarettes, and the effect they can have even on non-users.

Estimates for the Future

In the ANPRM, the New England Journal of Medicine was quoted as saying that they estimate more than five million adults could easily quit smoking within one year should the FDA lower nicotine levels. Because nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes, this reduction could make it much easier for smokers to quit over time. And beyond a year, the same study estimated that more than 33 million people, including non-adults, could quit long-term. Overall, the numbers showed that a country with about a 15% smoking population could see numbers as low as just 1.4% smoking population by 2100.

What does that mean for the healthcare industry and mortality rates? It means that by the end of this century, an estimated eight million people who would have died from tobacco-related illness would have had long and healthy lives. That’s a huge burden lifted from the healthcare system.



When Will We Know More?

As of right now, we do not know when we will get an update from the FDA about lowering nicotine in cigarettes. However, the Commissioner’s statement did mention new and improved efforts to uphold other regulations and programs to prevent smoking that are already in place. The overall public health goal to reduce smoking is in full swing and does not appear to be slowing down.