The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced a proposed rule that would for the first time require the tobacco industry to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes, which have addicted and killed millions of people over decades, to minimally- or non-addictive levels. Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, the world's leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, issued the following statement:
"By reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes and certain other combustible tobacco products, the FDA would take a major step to protect public health from an industry whose addictive products kill nearly half a million people in this country every year. The proposal outlines a plan to reduce the addictiveness of the deadliest consumer products on the market. Lowering nicotine levels will help millions of people quit smoking and prevent countless others from becoming addicted, sparing families nationwide from the devastating consequences of tobacco-related illnesses and death.
"This proposed action would be one of the most significant in FDA history to curb tobacco use. According to the FDA's estimates, reducing nicotine levels to minimally addictive or non-addictive levels in cigarettes could prompt 12.9 million people to quit smoking within the first year and 19.5 million to quit within five years. It could also prevent more than 48 million youth and young adults from becoming regular smokers and save 4.3 million lives by the end of this century.
"We look forward to reviewing and providing feedback on FDA's proposal, including expanding the rule to include all combustible tobacco products. We will continue to work closely with the agency toward the goal of making this policy a reality, despite certain opposition from the tobacco industry and its allies, who don't want anything to slow the sale of these addictive and deadly products.
"It is crucial for the FDA to establish nicotine reduction levels that maximize quitting and reduce initiation of youth smoking. The public must also be made aware that even reduced-nicotine cigarettes remain harmful and deadly products. Education about reduced nicotine products will be important to optimize the impact of this rule on public health.
"Establishing a nicotine standard has the potential to profoundly alter the trajectory of tobacco use in this country. We hope the new presidential administration will prioritize efforts to reduce the use of all tobacco products with an early focus on combustible products and we look forward to continuing our work with the FDA to oppose Big Tobacco's sinister strategies to addict our nation's young people.
"Robust tobacco endgame policies at the state and community levels continue to be critically important. The tobacco industry's efforts to impede public health progress must be stopped to help those who use tobacco quit and prevent others from starting the habit. Together, these actions bring us closer to the goal of ending tobacco use and nicotine addiction in this country."
Additional Resources
- AHA Presidential Advisory: New and Emerging Tobacco Products and the Nicotine Endgame: The Role of Robust Regulation and Comprehensive Tobacco Control and Prevention
- AHA news release: Surgeon General's report puts a spotlight on tobacco-related health disparities
- AHA news release: Good news and caution on youth tobacco use
