New Zealand Medical Journal Publishes Letter Recommending 22nd Century’s Very Low Nicotine Cigarettes as Important Smoking ...
February 24 2016 - 9:28AM
Business Wire
"Nicotine content of cigarettes should be
reduced to very low levels so that they are less addictive."
Pragmatic Public Policy Approach May Help Drastically Reduce NZ
Smoking Prevalence by 2025
22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT: XXII), a plant biotechnology
company that is a leader in tobacco harm reduction, announced today
that on February 19, 2016, Dr. Murray Laugesen and Dr. Randolph C.
Grace published a letter in The New Zealand Medical Journal, Volume
129, Number 1430, advocating for introduction of 22nd Century’s
Very Low Nicotine cigarettes in New Zealand at a favorable tax
rate.
Professors in the Department of Psychology at the University of
Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, Drs. Laugesen and Grace,
addressed their letter to the Ministry of Health and to tobacco
policy advocates in New Zealand. Their letter advocates
implementing 22nd Century’s Very Low Nicotine tobacco cigarettes as
a cornerstone tool in New Zealand’s efforts to drastically reduce
smoking prevalence in New Zealand by the year 2025. 22nd Century
recently launched MAGIC 0 Very Low Nicotine cigarettes in Europe
and the Company submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) in December 2015 a Modified Risk Tobacco Product application
for BRAND A Very Low Nicotine cigarettes. The New Zealand movement
reflects growing international enthusiasm for reducing nicotine
levels in cigarettes to non-addictive levels.
Dr. Laugesen and Dr. Grace recommend, among other things, that
Very Low Nicotine cigarettes be subject to reduced excise taxes to
encourage consumers in New Zealand to switch brands. What follows
is an excerpt from their letter as published in The New Zealand
Medical Journal:
Reducing nicotine content of cigarettes. We draw
attention to a review in the area, three ground-breaking studies
and a recent public survey showing wide support for very low
nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes. This method could (over
2017-2020) be used to reduce excise [taxes] on VLNC cigarettes by
20% to 2014 levels, making these the preferred price alternative.
These cigarettes are available from 22nd Century USA. Nicotine in
VLNC tobacco would reduce by 90% or more, smoking would greatly
reduce, and many would quit:
a. 2009/10 Walker et al. undertook a
pragmatic community-based randomised trial (n=1,410) in NZ in which
Quitline [a New Zealand stop-smoking group] callers were randomised
to receive either VLNC cigarettes to use whenever they had an urge
to smoke for up to 6 weeks after their quit date, in combination
with usual Quitline care (8 weeks of NRT patches and/or gum or
lozenges, plus behavioural support) or to usual Quitline care
alone. Participants in the [VLNC] intervention group were more
likely to have quit smoking at 6 months compared to those in the
usual care group, and were less likely to relapse back to
smoking.
b. 2014 Walker et al. undertook a pragmatic
community-based randomised trial (n=33) in Central Otago among
cigarette smokers unmotivated to quit. Among those smoking VLNC
cigarettes (<0.7 mg [nicotine content] tobacco) they reduced
cigarette consumption, reduced nicotine exposure, and increased
quitting.
c. 2015 Donny et al. conducted a randomised
trial within the USA with 780 smokers unmotivated to quit. They
showed that those randomised to smoke very low VLNC cigarettes (0.4
mg-2.4 mg [nicotine content] per cigarette) rather than
standard-nicotine cigarettes (5 mg-15 mg of nicotine per
cigarette), reduced their nicotine exposure, nicotine dependency,
and cigarettes per day (from 20 to 15). They reported little
evidence of any negative effects (including compensatory smoking)
and that participants were more likely to try to quit during follow
up.
d. On 8 January 2016 the Health
Promotion Agency reported that adults (n=2,594) showed wide support
(81% of those surveyed, 63% of smokers, and all age, sex and
ethnicity groups) for the concept that "nicotine content of
cigarettes should be reduced to very low levels so that they are
less addictive." A policy along these lines has the support of the
NZ public.
“To drastically reduce smoking rates in their country by 2025,
New Zealand scientists and government policy advocates are
demonstrating uncommon public policy pragmatism,” explained Henry
Sicignano, III, President and Chief Executive Officer of 22nd
Century Group. “22nd Century stands ready to provide our Company’s
proprietary Very Low Nicotine cigarettes to New Zealand and to all
other countries who desire to reduce the harm caused by
smoking.”
About 22nd Century Group, Inc.
22nd Century is a plant biotechnology company focused on
technology which allows it to increase or decrease the level of
nicotine in tobacco plants and the level of cannabinoids in
cannabis plants through genetic engineering and plant breeding. The
Company’s primary mission is to reduce the harm caused by smoking.
22nd Century currently owns or exclusively controls more than 200
issued patents and more than 50 pending patent applications around
the world. The Company’s strong IP position led to a licensing
agreement with British American Tobacco (“BAT”), the world’s second
largest tobacco company. Visit www.xxiicentury.com and
www.magiccigarettes.com for more information.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press
release contains forward-looking information, including all
statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the
intent, belief or current expectations of 22nd Century Group, Inc.,
its directors or its officers with respect to the contents of this
press release, including but not limited to our future revenue
expectations. The words “may,” “would,” “will,” “expect,”
“estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend” and similar
expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future results,
levels of activity or performance. You should not place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as
of the date that they were made. These cautionary statements should
be considered with any written or oral forward-looking statements
that we may issue in the future. Except as required by applicable
law, including the securities laws of the United States, we do not
intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform
these statements to reflect actual results, later events or
circumstances, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events. You should carefully review and consider the various
disclosures made by us in our annual report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, filed on February 18, 2016,
including the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and our other
reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
which attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors
that may affect our business, financial condition, results of
operation and cash flows. If one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those
expected or projected.
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Investor Relations:IRTH CommunicationsAndrew Haag,
866-976-4784xxii@irthcommunications.comorRedington, Inc.Tom
Redington, 203-222-7399
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