As part of a plan to fight cancer, the US government wants to drastically reduce the nicotine content of cigarettes sold in the United States, in order to reach levels low enough to avoid addiction for smokers.
The announcement could be made later in the day, the Washington Post reports, and is part of a sweeping health program aimed at reducing the number of cancer deaths, which President Joe Biden has promised to cut by 50% over a period of time. 25 years old.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States after cardiovascular disease.
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the country, with 480,000 tobacco-related deaths recorded each year.
The powerful tobacco industry should fight
But, according to the Washington Post, this possible announcement is only the beginning of a long process against which the powerful tobacco industry should fight.
The drug agency (FDA), which regulates the tobacco market, must present its proposed rules, a process that could take a year, says the Washington Post, citing a source familiar with the matter.
These new proposals will then be published and open to public comment.
Each of these comments - potentially tens of thousands - will need to be investigated, as required by law.
The FDA, long in favor of lower nicotine levels in cigarettes, pledged in April 2021 to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes, a move that will 'save hundreds of thousands of lives' as it is. in France since May 2020.
Menthol cigarettes are considered a gateway to smoking, encouraging young people in particular to start smoking, and are associated with greater addiction.
Donald Trump's administration previously banned most e-cigarette flavors, while exempting menthol.
At the end of 2019, Congress passed a law raising the minimum age to buy tobacco and electronic cigarettes across the country from 18 to 21.
