Less nicotine in cigarettes? If it were up to the Americans, yes.

April 26 2021, by Willy van Knippenberg
2 min reading time

In America, the government is considering requiring tobacco manufacturers to reduce the nicotine content of cigarettes to a level where they are no longer addictive.

The US government, led by Joe Biden, wants to reduce the nicotine content of cigarettes to make them neither more nor less addictive. This could be achieved through genetically modifying tobacco plants or by removing nicotine from the leaves during tobacco production.

Quit smoking

The US government hopes this measure will help millions of people quit smoking or switch to less harmful alternatives like nicotine gum or lozenges. Nicotine itself isn't carcinogenic and doesn't damage the lungs, but it is highly addictive.

Previous research shows that smokers are much more likely to quit when tobacco contains minimal nicotine. Cigarettes kill more than 8 million people worldwide each year, 1.2 million of whom are due to passive smoking, according to figures from the World Health Organization.

How much nicotine and tar are in cigarettes?

Research by the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) has shown that cigarettes contain twice as many toxic substances as previously thought. They tested a hundred different cigarettes. The cigarette that exceeds the legal limit by far is the Marlboro Prime. It contains 26 times more tar than previously measured.

See below how much more tar and nicotine there is in the six best-selling types of cigarettes

BRAND	TAR	NICOTINE
Marlboro Red	2.5x more tar	2.4x more nicotine
Marlboro Gold	3x more tar	2.7x more nicotine
Pall Mall Red	2.6x more tar	2.7x more nicotine
L&M Red Label	3.1x more tar	2.7x more nicotine
Camel Filter	2.6x more tar	2.7x more nicotine
Kent Surround Silver	5x more tar	3.7x more nicotine

No tar in e-cigarettes

An e-cigarette (electronic cigarette) vaporizes a liquid containing a mixture of flavorings and other substances. The liquid, or e-liquid, is heated to create vapor that the user can inhale. This liquid doesn't contain tar, like a regular cigarette, but often does contain nicotine.

E-cigarettes release fewer harmful substances than regular cigarettes, and in lower concentrations. In all likelihood, e-cigarettes are less harmful than regular cigarettes. However, we don't yet fully understand the harmful effects of e-cigarettes with long-term, consistent use.

source: https://www.rivm.nl/tabak/wat-is-een-e-sigaret