Biden Administration Plans to Significantly Reduce Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a proposal that would require tobacco companies to significantly reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes.

The goal of the initiative, which is part of the administration’s agenda of regulatory actions, is to ease the process of quitting smoking and preventing future generations from getting hooked on cigarettes. The restriction will likely take several years to go into effect given the expected pushback from Big Tobacco companies. Some proposals would require cigarette manufacturers to reduce the amount of nicotine in their products by up to 95 percent.

Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC. While harmful physical effects like cancer and lung disease have been linked with smoking for years, some recent studies have suggested smoking can trigger a variety of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and depression.

Coverage across the spectrum similarly highlighted the dangers of cigarette smoking as well as the obstacles that lawmakers will have to overcome. Some outlets noted that there is "no other nation" with a similar nicotine reduction mandate to what the Biden administration is proposing. Other reports emphasized criticisms that compared the nicotine reduction plan to "alcohol prohibition, especially when combined with the FDA seeking a ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes."