US FDA Considers Reducing Nicotine Content in Tobacco

[Image source= AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The U.S. government is reportedly considering measures to reduce nicotine content in cigarettes, according to the Wall Street Journal on the 19th (local time).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must respond by the 29th to a petition requesting a ban on menthol cigarette sales. It is known that the FDA is reviewing the reduction of nicotine content as part of its consideration of whether to ban menthol sales.

According to officials, the FDA plans to decide by the 29th whether to ban menthol sales to reduce the smoking population, order tobacco companies to reduce nicotine content as an alternative, or implement both measures.

In the United States, 480,000 people die annually due to smoking. The annual cigarette sales volume is 226 billion packs, about one-third of which are menthol. Menthol cigarettes are especially popular among teenagers and African Americans.

The FDA has been steadily considering reducing nicotine content since the 1990s. According to research supported by the FDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reducing nicotine to nearly zero makes quitting smoking easier. The FDA's position is that nicotine itself is not a direct cause of cancer, heart disease, or lung disease, but it encourages smoking, which harms health.

In 2009, the FDA was legally granted the authority to order nicotine content reduction. However, this comes with the conditions that there must be scientific evidence and that it benefits the public interest.

Accordingly, the FDA was able to ban the addition of candy or fruit flavors to cigarettes, citing the risk that cigarettes could appeal to children. However, the ban on menthol sales remains controversial. There are claims that banning menthol could instead encourage the illegal market, causing adverse effects.

In 2017, under Director Scott Gottlieb, the FDA pushed for a menthol ban and nicotine content reduction. However, since Gottlieb's departure in 2019, neither measure has shown significant progress.

Tobacco companies argue that the effectiveness of nicotine reduction has not been verified and that it could instead promote the illegal market, causing significant side effects.

Altria Group, maker of Marlboro cigarettes, stated, "All actions taken by the FDA must be based on science. The impact on millions of jobs and the potential to encourage the illegal market must also be considered." On the day, Altria's stock price plunged 6.17%. In contrast, the stock price of 22nd Century Group, which produces cigarettes with lower nicotine content, surged 10.59%.

Reynolds American, maker of Camel and Newport cigarettes, also stated, "There is no scientific conclusion on the effectiveness of nicotine content reduction, and there are better ways to protect public health."