New International Survey Shows Overwhelming Support for Very Low Nicotine Cigarettes
June 15 2017 - 9:28AM
Business Wire
74% of adults in the United States, Japan,
Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom believe “government
should mandate that all cigarettes have very low, non-addictive
levels of nicotine.”
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 Company commissioned Harris Poll
to conduct an international online survey from May 24–28, 2017
among over 6,000 adults ages 18+ in the United States, Japan,
Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Results of the
multi-national consumer survey reflect overwhelming support for a
reduction in nicotine content in cigarettes to non-addictive
levels.
Survey respondents echoed the recommendation of former FDA
Commissioner, Dr. David Kessler, who proposed in an interview with
The Washington Post that the amount of nicotine in a cigarette
should drop from about 10 milligrams to less than 1 milligram. "If
you do this, you can save 200,000 to 300,000 lives a year," Kessler
said. "Everything else pales in comparison."
The May 2017 survey asked how governments should introduce Very
Low Nicotine cigarettes to smokers in each country. Representing an
important cross-section of populations, more than half of
international adults (59%) identified themselves as current or
former smokers. Though slight differences appear from
country-to-country, the survey results show remarkable consistency
and compelling support for governments to implement nicotine
reduction strategies.
- 88% of international adults agree that
cigarette companies should be required to print the nicotine
content of their cigarettes on the pack. Japan is the only country
of the five surveyed with cigarette packaging that contains
information regarding nicotine content. At this time, cigarette
packs in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the U.K. do not
indicate the nicotine content of cigarettes.
- A majority of international adults
(54%) think that cigarettes with very low, non-addictive nicotine
levels should be taxed at a lower rate than conventional cigarettes
with addictive levels of nicotine. While governments can and do
raise tobacco excise taxes, they compel smokers to choose between
financial hardship and largely ineffective smoking cessation
products. A lower tax rate for Very Low Nicotine cigarettes would
provide smokers with motivation to opt for reduced nicotine
products.
- In the strongest of policy options, 74%
of international adults agree that the government should mandate
that all cigarettes have very low, non-addictive
levels of nicotine. An additional 11% agree that, at the very
least, cigarette companies should be required to offer one style of
cigarettes with lower levels of nicotine.
While adults in these five opinion-leading countries (United
States, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom) recently
identified accurate package labeling and a government mandate
requiring non-addictive levels of nicotine in cigarettes as
appropriate, scientists studying the effects of Very Low Nicotine
cigarettes have already called upon governments around the world to
make these very same changes. The World Health Organization’s
Global Nicotine Reduction Strategy report called on WHO-member
countries to “mandate reductions in nicotine to minimally addictive
levels.” Other scientists authored a special paper, published in
Tobacco Control journal, which asserts that governments around the
world should reduce the nicotine content of cigarettes to
non-addictive levels… “≤ 0.4 mg per gram of tobacco, a 95-98%
reduction in nicotine content relative to what is currently on the
market.”
22nd Century is the only company in the world capable of growing
tobacco with nicotine levels of just 0.4mg per gram of tobacco.
Leading scientists using 22nd Century’s Very Low Nicotine SPECTRUM®
research cigarettes have found that Very Low Nicotine SPECTRUM
cigarettes are associated with reduced consumption and increased
quit attempts (N Engl J Med 2015; 373:1340-1349).
What is intuitive to international adults is also well-studied
in clinical trials. The Tobacco Control article summarized the
highly attractive characteristics of Very Low Nicotine tobacco in
this way: “…in current smokers, very low nicotine content (VLNC)
cigarettes decrease nicotine exposure, decrease cigarette
dependence, reduce the number of cigarettes smoked per day and
increase the likelihood of contemplating, making and succeeding at
a quit attempt.”
“There is a compelling and urgent case for enacting a national
nicotine policy in the United States and around the world,”
explained Henry Sicignano, III, President and Chief Executive
Officer of 22nd Century Group. “Leading scientists and the public
agree: governments should mandate the availability of Very Low
Nicotine cigarettes.”
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of
22nd Century Group from May 24–28, 2017 among 2,148 adults ages 18
and older in the United States, 1,014 adults ages 18 and older in
the United Kingdom, 1,056 adults ages 18 and older in Japan, 1,050
adults ages 18 and older in Canada, and 1,033 adults ages 18 and
older in Australia. This online survey is not based on a
probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical
sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology,
including weighting variables, please contact (716) 270-1523.
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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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170615005365/en/
Investor Relations:IRTH CommunicationsAndrew Haag,
866-976-4784xxii@irthcommunications.com
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