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Revolution of smoking US authority plans to massively reduce nicotine content of cigarettes
The nicotine content in cigarettes should be lowered so much that smokers are no longer addicted. This has been reported by the US Food and Drug Administration. The measure should help to reduce illnesses and deaths from tobacco consumption.
Drastic reduction of nicotine in cigarettes
Every year, around 7 million people die from smoking worldwide. Smokers not only get sick and die of lung cancer. Tobacco use also increases the risk of several other types of cancer and other diseases such as smoker's or smoker's cough, asthma, chronic bronchitis and heart attack and stroke. The US Food and Drug Administration has announced a move that could dramatically reduce smoking and smoking deaths by drastically reducing nicotine in cigarettes.
The US Food and Drug Administration has announced that nicotine in cigarettes should be cut so much that smokers no longer become addicted. This measure should help to reduce illnesses and deaths from tobacco consumption. (Image: BillionPhotos.com/fotolia.com) Better protect children
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a new comprehensive plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation "to better protect children and significantly reduce tobacco related illnesses and deaths," the agency said in a statement.
According to the information, the nicotine content in cigarettes should be lowered so much that it no longer makes smokers dependent.
It is said that the plans now announced are the most comprehensive efforts since Congress in 1965 called for health risks on the packaging to be identified. From the White House it was said that the project would be supported.
Dependence on cigarettes
According to the FDA, the issue of addiction plays an important role in current plans.
"The overwhelming proportion of deaths and illnesses from tobacco is caused by the dependency on cigarettes - the only legal product that kills half of its long-term users when used as directed," said FDA chief Scott Gottlieb.
"Without a change of course, 5.6 million of the young people living today will die prematurely from tobacco consumption later on. The cornerstone of our efforts must be to imagine a world where cigarettes no longer cause or sustain addiction, and where adults who still need or want nicotine can get it from alternative and less harmful sources, "says Gottlieb.
According to the FDA's announcement, measures are also planned to examine ways to improve the access and use of nicotine drug products.
Although one needs above all a firm will for the exit from the addiction, but in some "cases a medicamentous assistance with the weaning can be helpful", write the German cancer research center (DKFZ) on its web page.
"Nicotine substitutes in the form of patches, chewing gum, lozenges or inhalers or even prescription drugs come into question to support smoking cessation," say the experts.
Stock prices plummeted
The big tobacco companies do not really like the new plans of the FDA. According to media reports, the share prices of some of the companies crashed after the announcement of the health authority.
Probably the worst hit the American Altria group, but also Philip Morris, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Imperial Brands had - at least temporarily - recorded a price slide.
However, stock prices of tobacco companies had previously reached record levels.
According to news agency dpa, Neil Wilson of ETX Capital fears that the impact of FDA's plans on the industry is hard to overestimate.
First, there are likely to be significant effects on corporate profits. And secondly, other health authorities could resort to similar measures in addition to the FDA - such as in Europe. (Ad)