Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network President Lisa Lacasse, responding to media reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed a plan to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes to non-addictive levels from its Unified Agenda of Regulations.
“Reducing nicotine in all combustible tobacco products to non-addictive levels is one of the most critical aspects of tobacco control that the FDA can address through the federal rule-making process. Former FDA Commissioner Gottlieb’s 2017 announcement that the agency would work to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes was welcome news and represented a potential major step forward by the FDA in the fight against nicotine addiction and combustible tobacco use in the United States.
“It is our hope that, despite the reported removal of this initiative from the FDA’s unified agenda, the agency will continue to prioritize work to make nicotine reduction in cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products a reality. This initiative, as part of a comprehensive tobacco control plan, has the potential to prevent a new generation of Americans from becoming addicted to the tobacco industry’s deadly products.
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