NEW YORK POST: WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is moving forward with plans to mandate lower nicotine levels in cigarettes in the final days of President Biden’s term, according to a new report, which critics say could cause Americans to smoke more and fuel organized crime cartels.
The plan, which is touted as a way to reduce the ability of cigarettes to hook casual users, cleared a regulatory review last week by the Food and Drug Administration, the agency told Fox News.
But opponents argue that the change could cause current smokers to use more cigarettes to compensate for the lower nicotine levels, negatively impacting their health, and that the plan could open an opportunity for black-market sales of standard-strength cigarettes.
“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,” Rich Marianos, a former assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told Fox News.
It’s unclear if the FDA will issue a proposed rule outlining the looming regulation before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20. » | Steven Nelson | Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Why can’t politicians stop meddling? Whay can’t they leave things alone? Why do they always feel that they have to do something? They usually make things worse. – © Mark Alexander
