Reduced-Nicotine Cigarettes Coming to US Market Soon

Cigarettes with reduced nicotine levels are expected to hit the US market starting in March. The manufacturer of these new products had recently obtained the status of "modified risk tobacco product" from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the big tobacco companies had claimed that reducing the nicotine concentration in cigarettes was not "technically feasible".

The VLN King and VLN Menthol King brands, produced by the cigarette manufacturer 22nd Century, have been authorized as modified risk products since the end of December 2021. However, the consumption of these modified risk products is not accompanied by a reduction in harm to smokers: as tobacco products, they remain a particularly toxic consumer product. [1].

Lowering nicotine levels to reduce smokers' addiction

In a press release, Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, justified the decision by saying that the products could help adult smokers switch away from traditional cigarettes. He said that three out of four smokers would like to quit smoking. The new tobacco products would have a lower nicotine concentration than conventional manufactured cigarettes.[2]. Additionally, studies funded by the FDA and the National Institutes of Health show that smokers are more likely to quit or switch to nicotine replacement therapy when cigarettes have residual nicotine levels.

Government Considers Regulation, Major Manufacturers Oppose

The approval comes as the question of federal regulation to force manufacturers to reduce nicotine concentrations in all tobacco products is being raised. In April 2021, a Wall Street Journal article stated that This possibility was considered by the Biden administration. However, Altria, the manufacturer of Marlboro in the United States, had then maintained that the elimination of nicotine was not a "technically feasible" option. The manufacturer had also stressed that it would not allow smokers to help them reduce their tobacco addiction. To date, none of the major tobacco companies have announced that they are launching these new tobacco products.[3].

FT

[1] Bloomberg, 22nd Century Launching the First Reduced Nicotine Cigarette Authorized by the FDA That Helps You Smoke Less, 01/18/2022, (accessed 01/19/2022)

[2] Food and Drug Administration, FDA Authorizes Marketing of Tobacco Products that Help Reduce Exposure to and Consumption of Nicotine for Smokers Who Use Them, 12/23/2021, (accessed 01/19/2022)

[3] Journal Now, 22nd Century plans pilot market for very-low-nicotine traditional cigarettes, 01/18/2022, (accessed 01/19/2022)