The Biden administration is pushing forward a controversial move in its last days to transform the U.S. cigarette market.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is close to implementing a rule that would phase out cigarettes with current levels of nicotine, substituting them with lower nicotine options to reduce dependence, Fox News reported.
This shift, heralded by the FDA on January 3rd, was first suggested in 2017 by former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. The aim is to alter the addictive nature of cigarettes, significantly changing how tobacco is regulated in the country.
However, Rich Marianos, a former law enforcement officer, has voiced strong criticism of the plan. He argues it was made without adequate input from key stakeholders, such as law enforcement and health professionals.
Marianos suggests that by lowering nicotine levels, the FDA might inadvertently increase cigarette consumption because smokers will need more to satisfy their cravings. He predicts this could intensify black market operations, extending opportunities to criminal groups including Mexican cartels, and Chinese and Russian criminal organizations, to exploit the U.S. tobacco market.
Rich Marianos expresses: "Biden's ban is a gift with a bow and balloons to organized crime cartels with it, whether it's cartels, Chinese organized crime, or Russian mafia. It's going to keep America smoking, and it's going to make the streets more violent."
In 2023, several U.S. senators including Sens. Bill Cassidy and Mark Warner expressed concerns about the national security threat posed by tobacco trafficking. This operation, they noted, financially supports various criminal and terrorist activities.
The senators warned that the legalization of low-nicotine cigarettes could fuel these illicit dealings further, endangering American public safety and health.
Controversially, the FDA's strategy highlights that reducing nicotine could help future generations avoid becoming hooked on smoking, which could increase the number of smokers quitting. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf stated, "Lowering nicotine levels to minimally addictive or non-addictive levels would decrease the likelihood that future generations of young people become addicted to cigarettes and help more currently addicted smokers to quit."
Despite the opposition, the FDA remains steadfast in its belief that this is a critical step forward in public health. Yet, the breadth of concerns surrounding the proposed rule change indicates a tumultuous path ahead, fraught with legal, social, and health implications.
The administration and the FDA plan to proceed with enforcing lower nicotine levels, promising a significant shift in public health strategy. This remains a divisive issue, seen by some as an opportunity for public health improvement and by others as a setup for increased criminal activity and continued smoking.
Ultimately, the move by the Biden administration represents a bold bid to alter the landscape of American smoking habits, though its repercussions might be far-reaching and unpredictable.
