Key Takeaways:

• Six U.S. senators urged FDA to finalize a rule capping nicotine levels in cigarettes and combustibles by 95%.
• Lawmakers argue the cap would make cigarettes less addictive and could help millions quit.
• The letter warns FDA to apply limits to heated tobacco products to prevent industry loopholes.

A group of Democratic senators, led by U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to act quickly on a long-standing proposal to limit nicotine levels in cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products.

In a letter to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Center for Tobacco Products Acting Director Bret Koplow, Sens. Durbin, Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) urged the agency to finalize a bipartisan rule that would cut nicotine levels in cigarettes by 95% compared to most products currently on the market.

“Nearly 70 percent of adults who smoke reported wanting to quit smoking, but nicotine is a highly addictive chemical that makes cessation incredibly challenging,” the senators wrote. They stressed that less than one in 10 adults who smoke succeed in quitting each year, making nicotine reduction a critical public health tool.

The lawmakers also warned against letting the tobacco industry exploit regulatory loopholes. “FDA should consider applying the new nicotine standard to all combustible and heated tobacco products,” they wrote, warning that excluding heated tobacco sticks or cigars could weaken the rule’s effectiveness.

Citing FDA estimates, the senators noted that the rule could prevent 48 million young people from starting to smoke by 2100 and encourage nearly 13 million adults to quit within a year of implementation.

“Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, claiming the lives of approximately 480,000 Americans every year,” the letter said. “We urge you to finalize the rule as soon as possible to give Americans a fighting chance against the destructive grip of nicotine addiction.”

The FDA initially proposed the nicotine reduction rule during the Biden administration. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act grants the agency authority to establish tobacco product standards, including requirements for reduced nicotine levels.