After increasing the tax on cigarettes and using the warning label on its packet, the FDA has now decided to lower the amount of nicotine present in the cigarettes. The proposal has earned praises from many health advocates.
The Food and Drug Administration has decided to reduce the amount of nicotine content in the cigarettes to make it less addictive for the people. The announcement has managed to earn praises from the public health advocates. If implemented this would be the first time that the government would be directly attacking the addictive substance of the cigarettes.
Notably, the government had earlier taken efforts to make people quit smoking by increasing the taxes and by putting warning labels on the cover of cigarette packets. According to reports from The Washington Post, Scott Gottlieb, FDA's commissioner said that the actions are an important element of a complete plan that aims to drive the smokers to move towards an alternative less harmful form of the nicotine.
He further said that as a result of addiction to tobacco, a high of a number of people have died and many others are suffering from other kind of serious diseases. He further said that cigarettes are the only consumer product which results in the death of the people who are its long term users.
Few of the health proponents have also pointed out that the proposal of reducing nicotine content in the cigarettes will take a long period of time to get implemented. This is because many hurdles will be required to be crossed and one of the most important hurdles will be the power of the tobacco industry to stop this proposal altogether.
Dave Dobbins said that the only thing which is happening right now is the delay. He also said that by such proposals, FDA is delaying the schedule of e-cigarettes. However, Josh Sharfstein is happy about the proposal because through it the government is trying to phase out cigarettes.
