Nicotine could be limited in cigarettes
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - President Joe Biden is expected to propose a plan that would limit nicotine levels in cigarettes. The move could come as early as Monday.
It's a last ditch effort for the Biden administration to push back against the tobacco industry after failing to finalize a long-standing pledge to ban menthol cigarettes.
The proposal is not expected to include tobacco products like E-cigarettes, or nicotine replacement patches and lozenges.
The exact details of the proposal to cap nicotine levels have not been released.
However, multiple studies have suggested that levels may have to be slashed by up to 95% to make them minimally or non-addictive.
If the Biden administration releases the proposed rule next week, it would still likely take several years to become final.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, killing more than 480,000 people each year.
