Biden wants to place limits on nicotine levels in cigarettes

The Biden administration on Tuesday said it wants to cap the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes as part of an effort to stem addiction and reduce smoking-related deaths.

The initiative — which is sure to face pushback from the tobacco industry — was announced as part of the White House’s list of planned federal regulatory actions, released twice a year.

“This proposed rule is a tobacco product standard that would establish a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and certain finished tobacco products,” the administration said.

Noting that “tobacco-related harms” primarily result from addiction, officials said the Food and Drug Administration “would take this action to reduce addictiveness to certain tobacco products, thus giving addicted users a greater ability to quit.”

It would also be a way to stop young people from getting hooked and becoming regular smokers, the officials said.