New Zealand Study Recommends 22nd Century’s VLN Cigarettes as an Effective Tobacco Control Strategy
April 04 2017 - 9:45AM
Business Wire
VLN cigarettes reduce nicotine dependence
and improve health and financial outcomes for smokers
22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT:XXII), a plant biotechnology
company that is focused on tobacco harm reduction and cannabis
research, announced today that the journal Nicotine and Tobacco
Research has published a new study showing how 22nd Century’s Very
Low Nicotine (VLN) cigarettes can be part of an effective tobacco
control strategy for forward-looking countries like New Zealand.
The study concluded that reducing the price of VLN cigarettes
compared to regular cigarettes will reduce nicotine dependence and
improve health and financial outcomes for smokers.
The New Zealand Government is committed to achieving its
“Smokefree 2025” goal, which aims to reduce smoking prevalence and
tobacco availability to minimal levels, thereby making New Zealand
essentially a “smokefree” nation by 2025. Very Low Nicotine
cigarettes have huge potential for helping New Zealand reach its
Smokefree 2025 goals. VLN cigarettes have the behavioral and
sensory aspects of conventional cigarettes while delivering
negligible levels of nicotine. Numerous studies indicate that 22nd
Century’s Very Low Nicotine cigarettes, with a nicotine content of
0.4mg/g (95% less nicotine than conventional tobacco), do not
support addiction. Conducted by scientists from The University of
Canterbury and Health New Zealand, the study entitled: Estimating
Demand and Cross-Price Elasticity for Very Low Nicotine Content
Cigarettes Using a Simulated Demand Task compared demand for
regular cigarettes and Very Low Nicotine cigarettes across several
price points. The study confirmed that imposing a modest price
differential between conventional cigarettes and VLN cigarettes
will result in smokers buying more non-addictive VLN
cigarettes.
Despite the difficulty of adjusting to a new cigarette,
participants reported they would convert to smoking VLN cigarettes
as the price of regular cigarettes increases. Accordingly, the
study suggests that Very Low Nicotine cigarettes have a real
potential to reduce tobacco consumption and increase quit
rates.
In conclusion, the study notes that “there are multiple ways in
which Very Low Nicotine cigarettes may contribute to a nicotine
reduction policy.” One option the authors describe is to reduce the
maximum allowable nicotine content of cigarettes gradually to a
non-addictive level. But the authors prefer a “more realistic
strategy” of making VLN cigarettes available at lower prices than
regular cigarettes.
“Many studies now show how valuable VLN cigarettes would be in
reducing the harm caused by smoking,” explained Dr. Paul Rushton,
22nd Century’s Vice President for Plant Biotechnology. “Like the
scientists responsible for this newest New Zealand-based study,
22nd Century urges countries around the world to adopt nicotine
reduction policies as quickly as possible.”
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 in tobacco is to reduce the harm caused
by smoking. The Company’s primary mission in cannabis is to develop
proprietary cannabis strains for important new medicines and
agricultural crops. 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.botanicalgenetics.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, 2016, filed on March 8, 2017,
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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22nd Century GroupInvestor Relations:IRTH CommunicationsAndrew
Haag, 866-976-4784xxii@irthcommunications.com
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