According to the NY Post on Jan. 7, a report indicates that the Biden administration is pushing for a plan, to be implemented in the final stages of Biden’s presidency, to require a reduction in nicotine levels in tobacco. That could lead Americans to smoke more and grow into an organized crime syndicate, the complaint said.
FDA Completes Review of Program to Reduce Nicotine Content in Cigarettes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it just completed its regulatory review of the program last week, and that “the proposed rule, Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Content in Certain Tobacco Products, was shown in the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) ROCIS system to have completed regulatory review on January 3.”
It is reported that the program claims to be aimed at reducing the addictive nature of cigarettes for the average user. Opponents, however, argue that the change could lead existing smokers to use more cigarettes to make up for reduced nicotine levels and could open up opportunities for black market sales of standard-content cigarettes.
Critics say it will breed organized crime
Rich Marianos, former assistant director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said in an interview with Fox News that the ban amounts to a “gift” to organized crime that will keep Americans smoking and fuel street violence.
It is unclear whether the FDA will issue proposed rules on the law and regulations before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20. The plan was announced in 2022, and formal proposed rules are expected to be promulgated in 2022, 2023, 2008, and it is unclear why the plan was delayed. Similarly, the FDA’s ban on menthol tobacco has been slow to implement.
Once the rule proposal is made, it will enter a public notice and comment phase, where supporters and opponents will present their arguments before a final decision is made. In a process sure to influence the election of President Donald Trump, the final decisions of the administration will be controlled by the relevant head nominated by the Republican Party, Such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary-designate of Health and Human Services, Marty Makary, and Marty Makary, chairman-designate of the FDA.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in 2022 that the program will help current smokers and potential future smokers. Many cigarette users have switched to other nicotine delivery options that are considered less risky, such as vapes and smokeless tobacco.
