April 29 is the date by which the FDA to reply to a petition by citizens to ban menthol cigarettes. The FDA must specify whether they are planning to follow through with the policy.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration is also mulling another policy to regulate cigarettes. This is an upper limit to the quantity of nicotine that can be found in cigarettes. The cigarettes will be permitted to contain non-addictive amounts of nicotine.
The initial ideas behind these policies were formulated years ago, long before concern about a young vaping epidemic gained traction. A key argument that supports smoking less nicotine, as per Wall Street Journal: Wall Street Journal, is as follows:
The proposed nicotine reduction policy will reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive or low levels of addiction, with the goal to encourage millions of smokers to quit smoking or change to healthier alternatives like chewing gums or lozenges, or electronic cigarettes.
There would be lots of anger and confusion when the government made such a statement today.
Although lowering the limit of nicotine was initially intended to help combat cigarettes, it shouldn’t be unexpected if vapes or electronic liquids are also included in a limit on nicotine. Many laws have been enacted to ensure that vapes are taxed res, tricked, and treated in a similar way as cigarettes made from tobacco. In light of the current stance on vaping, it is difficult to envision e-liquids being exempted from bans on menthol and nicotine restrictions.
The basic reason behind the reduction in nicotine is quite simple. If cigarettes are less addictive, fewer people are prone to becoming addicted. People who smoke regularly will be urged to quit smoking cigarettes when they realize that cigarettes aren’t satisfying their need for nicotine anymore. The primary argument for the reduction in nicotine is that people are still able to get nicotine from cigarettes – whether it’s through smoking more cigarettes or by acquiring their cigarettes on black markets.
The ban on menthol is intended to target younger, nascent smokers who begin with cigarettes flavored with menthol. Arguments for as well as against this decision are intensely debated, in part due to the fact that menthol cigarettes are most popular among Black smokers. So, the debates about the possibility that a ban on menthol could encourage illicit markets or police activities within Black communities are more under scrutiny than any other attempt to control nicotine.
The timeframe for the announcement of the president is set for April 29, but there is plenty of waiting and a complicated law before anything is actually implemented. In the time that it has been a while for the public’s demand to be answered, it has seen a number of changes in the world of nicotine. The epidemic of youth vaping has grown to be a huge concern; IQOS has been introduced to the market, PMTA deadlines have expired, and a global epidemic has been spotted. With the amount that laws must protect, any actions will probably require time.
