FDA proposes reducing nicotine in cigarettes to nonaddictive levels

January 17, 2025

On January 15, FDA proposed a rule to limit nicotine levels in cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products to make them minimally or nonaddictive. If finalized, this would be a groundbreaking move, making the U.S. the first country to take such a significant step to reduce smoking-related diseases and deaths.

FDA aims to gather public input on the proposal, which could prevent millions of young people from starting to smoke and help current smokers quit or switch to less harmful products. The proposed rule would cap nicotine levels at 0.7 milligrams per gram of tobacco, significantly lower than current levels, and would apply to various tobacco products, excluding e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

FDA's proposal is based on scientific evidence showing that lower nicotine levels in cigarettes do not lead to increased smoking to compensate for the reduced nicotine. The rule is expected to have substantial public health benefits, potentially preventing millions of smoking-related deaths and saving over $1 trillion in healthcare costs and productivity losses over the first four decades.

Starting January 16, the public will have through September 15, 2025, to provide comments, which the agency will review as it considers future action.

Source:

FDA. (2025, January 15). FDA Proposes Significant Step Toward Reducing Nicotine to Minimally or Nonaddictive Level in Cigarettes and Certain Other Combusted Tobacco Products. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-proposes-significant-step-toward-reducing-nicotine-minimally-or-nonaddictive-level-cigarettes