World Health Organization Recommends “Mandated Reductions in Nicotine to Minimally Addictive Levels”
July 11 2016 - 1:15PM
Business Wire
22nd Century’s Very Low Nicotine Cigarettes
Could Facilitate Global Nicotine Reduction Strategy
22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT: XXII), a plant
biotechnology company that is a leader in tobacco harm reduction,
announced today that the World Health Organization (WHO) Study
Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg) has recommended “a
policy of limiting the sale of cigarettes to brands with a nicotine
content that is not sufficient to lead to the development and/or
maintenance of addiction.” (WHO Global Nicotine Reduction
Strategy)
The WHO report states: “No specific amount of nicotine has yet
been identified as the absolute threshold for addiction; however,
it is likely to be equal to or possibly less than 0.4 mg/g of dry
cigarette tobacco filler.” 22nd Century is the only company in the
world capable of producing combustible tobacco cigarettes at this
very low level of nicotine – without any artificial extraction or
chemical processes.
Reflecting on independent clinical studies, the WHO report
explains that government-mandated nicotine reduction strategies
utilizing Very Low Nicotine cigarettes could “decrease the
acquisition of smoking and progression to addiction among
experimenters, limit the number of cigarettes smoked by some
proportion of addicted smokers and both increase the number of
addicted smokers who stop smoking and reduce the number of those
who relapse.”
22nd Century’s proprietary Very Low Nicotine SPECTRUM®, MAGIC®,
and BRAND A cigarettes have the taste and sensory characteristics
of conventional cigarettes, but contain approximately 95% less
nicotine than conventional cigarettes made by Altria Group, Inc.
(NYSE: MO) and Reynolds American, Inc. (NYSE: RAI), including
Marlboro®, Newport®, Camel®, and American Spirit®.
Reduced nicotine “yield” cigarettes first developed and marketed
by “Big Tobacco” companies in the 1970’s as “light,” and “low tar”
(terms now banned by the FDA from labeling and marketing in the
United States), deliver doses of nicotine that are actually
comparable to full-flavored conventional cigarettes and, in fact,
extend the prevalence of addiction. In stark comparison, 22nd
Century’s Very Low Nicotine cigarettes drastically reduce smokers’
exposure to nicotine. A growing body of scientific evidence –
including the ground breaking clinical trial by Donny et
al. that was funded by the FDA and
published in The New England Journal of Medicine – demonstrates
that 22nd Century’s proprietary Very Low Nicotine cigarettes do
not sustain addiction. Further, the use of 22nd Century’s
Very Low Nicotine cigarettes has been shown to decrease daily
cigarette consumption, as well as nicotine and toxicant
exposure.
As demonstrated by the WHO report, many public health officials
believe it is a critically important health need to provide
consumers with a product that reduces exposure to nicotine. This
point echoes former U.S. FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler’s
recommendation that “the FDA should quickly move to reduce nicotine
levels in cigarettes to non-addictive levels… It is the ultimate
harm reduction strategy.”
"22nd Century is the only company in the world that can make
cigarettes containing naturally grown tobacco with nicotine at the
non-addictive levels recommended by the WHO and former U.S. FDA
Commissioner Dr. David Kessler," explained Henry Sicignano, III,
President and Chief Executive Officer of 22nd Century Group. "We
welcome the opportunity to collaborate with public health officials
and scientists around the world to test and implement the important
recommendations made by the World Health Organization Study Group
on Tobacco Product Regulation."
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. 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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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160711006006/en/
Investor Relations:IRTH CommunicationsAndrew Haag,
866-976-4784xxii@irthcommunications.comorRedington, Inc.Tom
Redington, 203-222-7399
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