New FDA rules could mark the turning point to tobacco regulation since congress made compulsory placing warning labels on cigarettes in 1970s.The program would want tobacco companies to lessen the nicotine content in cigarettes. The FDA has not mentioned the figure by which percentage it should reduce but it seems to reduce significantly.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told Fox News that the efforts are going on to make the riskiest product, combustible product less addictive. Progress in tobacco plant genetic modification has allowed scientists to lower nicotine content.
Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids said that if you lessen the addictiveness of a product the smoker will actually have a real free option. But if this happens the likely effectiveness of the said changes fearing if nicotine quantity is lessened the adult smokers may indulge into black marketing to get their nicotine fix.
As a part of the tobacco regulation proposal, the FDA also wants to further examine smokeless options, like nicotine patches and vaping. We need to gauge them and place them through a proper regulatory process. This is going to require some years to pass since some regulations have been delayed.
Critics state that FDA has been slow to perceive the positive points of vaping and e cigarettes. A British government study found an increase in vaping has been matched by a corresponding decrease in smoking. The study has shown that vaping has been extremely helpful to people to quitsmoking.
