Washington, D.C. – Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released survey results in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showing that an overwhelming majority of Americans, including current cigarette smokers, favor requiring cigarette manufacturers to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes. Eighty-one percent of adult respondents strongly or somewhat strongly favor lowering nicotine levels. Among respondents who identified themselves as current smokers, support is at 80.6%.
Nicotine is highly addictive and is the primary reason tobacco users who want to quit are unable to do so. Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a notice for public comment on how the federal government could move forward and implement a rule to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes and potentially other combustible tobacco products. However, to date, the agency has not promulgated a proposed rule to mandate that nicotine levels be reduced.
The following is a quote from Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN):
“The American public recognizes the public health benefit that could come from reducing nicotine levels in combustible tobacco products. With tobacco use continuing to be the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, lowering nicotine levels has the potential to prevent future smokers from becoming addicted to the tobacco industry’s deadly products and could make it easier for smokers looking to quit to do so.
“ACS CAN has been on record and continues to advocate for the FDA to take action to reduce nicotine levels in all combustible tobacco products as one way to help end the tobacco epidemic. We once again call on the agency to finalize a regulation that would lower nicotine levels to prevent a new generation of Americans from becoming addicted to the tobacco industry’s deadly products.”