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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a new rule to reduce nicotine levels in cigarette products Wednesday.
Some Bostonians say they are on board with the regulation.
“I think it’s a good way to wean people off,” Jonathan of Boston told WBZ NewsRadio. “[The agency] should make life easier. They should do that with alcohol too, make that stuff less strong.”
The proposed rule would not ban cigarettes but cap the nicotine dosage in cigarette products at 0.7 milligrams per gram. If finalized, the plan is to make tobacco products less addictive, ultimately allowing millions of Americans to quit smoking and prevent future generations from starting.
“Everybody I know who smoked has had a hard time quitting,” Jeff of Dorchester added. “Years ago in graduate school, I smoked.” Having kids was what motivated him to quit.
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According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), tobacco products remain the leading cause of preventable disease and death. Nearly 50 million Americans say they are current smokers and more than 480,000 deaths each year are related to smoking and secondhand smoke exposures.
“I hope we can all agree that significantly reducing the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S. is an admirable goal we should all work toward,” FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf said.
However, some people are skeptical about the success rate of this proposal.
“If you’re used to a certain amount of nicotine, you’re [going to] have to buy more cigarettes,” Jorge of Cambridge said. “It’s just another tactic for them to sell cigarettes. That’s all that is.”
The proposal still needs to appear before the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. The agency is taking public comments on the proposal until Sept. 15.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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