FDA's Plan to Lower Nicotine in Cigarettes Has Captured the Attention of Regulators and Public Health Experts Around the World
August 09 2017 - 1:01PM
Business Wire
Officials in Canada, New Zealand and U.K.
are Now Pursuing Nicotine Reduction Policies
22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII), a plant
biotechnology company that is focused on tobacco harm reduction,
announced today that, as reported in Bloomberg News, the landmark
plan by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to
reduce nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels is prompting
authorities in countries outside of the United States to pursue
their own nicotine reduction mandates.
The Bloomberg article declares: “After FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb suggested mandating drastic cuts in nicotine levels,
public-health experts in New Zealand last week published an action
plan recommending such reductions within five years. Canada and
Finland say they’re looking into regulating amounts of the drug in
tobacco products, while officials in the U.K.’s Department of
Health have discussed the U.S. proposal with FDA representatives,
according to a person familiar with the matter.”
The Bloomberg article further states that the FDA has “massively
raised the attention on reduced-nicotine cigarettes for regulators
across the world,” according to Clive Bates, a public health
consultant.
The Bloomberg article goes on to point out the fears and
limitations of “Big Tobacco” when it reports: “Philip Morris
International Inc.’s Director of Product Policy, Rolf Lutz, last
year estimated it would cost the company $10 billion to $12 billion
to extract nicotine from all the cigarettes it sells across the
European Union. Lutz said the cost could be minimized by
genetically modifying tobacco plants, but this would take about 20
years.”
In contrast, 22nd Century already possesses proven technology
to grow tobacco with non-addictive levels of nicotine. The
Company has an inventory of Very Low Nicotine tobacco varieties and
is currently developing additional, improved Very Low Nicotine
tobacco varieties, including non-GMO varieties.
The Bloomberg article concludes with the assertion that the FDA
plan could lead to “the most fundamental change the tobacco
industry has ever seen,” as stated by Matthew Myers, president of
anti-smoking group Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
“These are very exciting times; public health officials around
the world are now actively considering mandates of nicotine levels
in tobacco cigarettes made possible by 22nd Century,” explained
Henry Sicignano, III, President and Chief Executive Officer of 22nd
Century Group. “As other countries seek to implement their own
reduced nicotine standards, 22nd Century stands ready to partner
with any countries – or tobacco companies – that have a genuine
interest in improving the health of smokers.”
About 22nd Century Group, Inc.
22nd Century is a plant biotechnology company focused on genetic
engineering and plant breeding which allows the increase or
decrease of the level of nicotine in tobacco plants and the level
of cannabinoids in cannabis plants. 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 hemp/cannabis
strains for important new medicines and agricultural crops. 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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