Question special
Lead Moderator

Thank you all for participating in this discussion! I look forward to the topics we will discuss over the next ten days.
This double-blind, parallel, randomized control trial presents compelling data, based on epidemiologically strong exposure and outcome measures, that a reduction in nicotine in cigarettes from 15.8 mg/g tobacco to 2.4 mg/g tobacco or less is associated with a reduction of 30-40% cigarettes smoked per day among study participants. Over time, it follows that this decreased exposure to harmful toxicants and carcinogens from cigarettes can result in improved public health outcomes.

Though legislation, like the 2009 Tobacco Control Act, is in place to allow the FDA to reduce nicotine content if it is a benefit to public health, what kind of pushback or obstacles to changing policy would be expected? And, at what point can the epidemiological evidence be sufficiently compelling to inform such a policy change?