End Substance Use Disorder Supports Biden-Harris Administration Plans to Reduce Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced plans to reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to nonaddictive levels. End Substance Use Disorder released the following statement:

“Smoking continues to cause slow and painful deaths for hundreds of thousands of our loved ones ever year,“ said Erin Schanning, president of End Substance Use Disorder. “Many people who smoke wish to stop but have difficulty doing so because tobacco companies intentionally use ingredients like nicotine that are powerfully addictive. After decades of tobacco companies profiting on the death and suffering of our loved ones and targeting our children, it’s time to put the health and wellbeing of our families first. We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for announcing plans to protect our families from the hardships of nicotine dependency.”

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing around 480,000 people every year. Most of these deaths are caused by the powerfully addictive quality of nicotine, which makes it extremely difficult for people to stop smoking. Nearly 9 in 10 adult smokers start smoking and develop a nicotine dependency during their teenage years.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s plans, the Food and Drug Administration will issue a proposed rule to set a maximum level of nicotine in cigarettes and tobacco products by May 2023. By law, the FDA cannot fully eliminate nicotine in cigarettes, but it can minimize the amount of nicotine allowed in tobacco products.

If the nicotine levels are reduced significantly, cigarettes would no longer be addictive, protecting millions from cancer and other health issues caused by smoking.

Read the announced plan here.