22nd Century submits comments to FDA on reduced nicotine content mandate

22nd Century (XXII) Group announced submission of public comments in support of the proposed “Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Yield of Cigarettes and Certain Other Combusted Tobacco Products,” 90 Fed. Reg. 5032 by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. In its submission, the Company noted the clear and consistent acknowledgement among medical professionals, researchers and even industry leaders that nicotine, the highly addictive substance in conventional tobacco products, is and always has been the driver of every harm and cost of cigarette smoking. The development and FDA authorization of Very Low Nicotine Content tobacco now makes it entirely feasible to produce conventionally flavored and consumer-acceptable combusted tobacco products that deliver a customary cigarette smoking experience with greatly reduced nicotine levels that comply with the proposed standard.”The evidence is overwhelming that a reduced nicotine yield standard for combusted tobacco products has the potential to save millions of lives and trillions of dollars cumulatively in the U.S. alone,” said Larry Firestone, CEO. “Our success in commercializing reduced nicotine content cigarettes under a growing number of brands demonstrates that these products can readily succeed in the marketplace and reduce smoking rates. In as little as two years, this mandate and 22nd Century’s tobacco technology could transform the industry to an entirely reduced nicotine product base. From both a public health and commercial standpoint, the only barrier left to the most transformative public health policy of a generation is the willingness to move forward with this mandate.”