On January 15, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made headlines with a groundbreaking proposal that could revolutionize the landscape of tobacco products. The agency announced a plan to limit the nicotine content in cigarettes and certain combusted tobacco products to levels that will make them minimally or nonaddictive. This significant step is geared towards preventing future generations from falling victim to the perils of tobacco addiction and smoking-related diseases.

A Step Long in the Making

The journey to this proposal began in 2018 when the FDA first expressed intentions to regulate nicotine levels in tobacco products. Now, as we stand on the brink of potentially transformative change, it’s clear that the FDA’s vision is not only ambitious but also rooted in a wealth of scientific evidence. The proposed nicotine cap, set at a mere 0.7 milligrams per gram of tobacco, is poised to dismantle the addictive potential of cigarettes, thus reducing the likelihood of new smokers picking up the habit.

Saving Lives and Reducing Costs

The impact of this regulation could be enormous. According to the FDA’s research, by the year 2100, this new nicotine standard has the potential to prevent around 48 million young people from starting to smoke. Additionally, it could encourage over 12.9 million current smokers to quit within the first year of the regulation’s enactment—numbers that elevate to an astonishing 19.5 million after five years. Ultimately, the FDA estimates that over the coming decades, we could see 1.8 million lives saved, climbing even higher to 4.3 million by the end of the century.

The financial implications are just as compelling. With an estimated annual benefit of over $1.1 trillion—not to mention the reduction in healthcare costs, lost productivity, and the avoidance of tobacco-related diseases—the proposal is not only a public health victory but also an economic one.

A Public Health Perspective

Cigarettes remain the deadliest consumer product in history, accounting for nearly half a million preventable deaths each year in the U.S. alone. The FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D., expressed a clear commitment to making significant progress in combating this public health crisis. “Today’s proposal envisions a future where it would be less likely for young people to use cigarettes and more individuals who currently smoke could quit or switch to less harmful products,” he stated.

The focus on addiction prevention and smoking cessation aligns with a broader goal: to create a healthier society where smoking-related diseases are no longer a pervasive threat. The proposed rule does not impose a ban on tobacco products but instead aims to create a safer environment by altering the products themselves. This is a crucial distinction as it allows for a path that encourages adult smokers to transition to less harmful alternatives without criminalizing their existing choices.

Why Public Engagement Matters

With the proposal open for public comment from January 16 to September 15, 2025, the FDA is keen on gathering input from diverse stakeholders, ensuring that a myriad of perspectives is considered. This effort to foster public dialogue is essential as it demonstrates a collaborative approach to policymaking, inviting the voices of health advocates, smokers wishing to quit, and the general public into the conversation.

The FDA is also reaching out to its Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee to explore further implications of this proposal, underlining the importance of scientific scrutiny in shaping effective tobacco regulations.

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Looking Ahead

As we await the final decision on this transformative proposal, the message is clear: reducing nicotine levels in combusted tobacco products could redefine smoking norms in America. The FDA’s intent to prioritize public health and encourage cessation underscores a commitment to safeguarding future generations.

While no tobacco product is completely safe and the best choice for individual health is to avoid all forms of tobacco, the proposed regulations represent a critical stride towards mitigating the risks associated with smoking. With collective efforts and robust community engagement, a healthier future is not only possible, but within reach.

Join the Conversation

Are you interested in contributing to this historic movement? The FDA encourages public input, and your voice matters! Take part in this important conversation in shaping the future of tobacco regulation. Together, we can help create a society where smoking-related deaths are significantly reduced, and a healthier lifestyle becomes the norm.

Stay engaged, stay informed, and let’s pave the way for a smoke-free future!

Related links:

https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/committees-and-meeting-materials/tobacco-products-scientific-advisory-committee

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Additional Resources:

• Tobacco Product Standards
• Nicotine Is Why Tobacco Products Are Addictive
• What Is Nicotine?
• The Relative Risks of Tobacco Products

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration

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In a significant health alert, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has upgraded the recall of Costco’s Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon to a Class I designation, indicating a serious health risk. This recall follows the discovery of Listeria monocytogenes during routine laboratory testing.

Originally announced in late October, the recall involved 111 cases of smoked salmon packaged in twin 12-ounce units, with a UPC number of 0 96619 25697 6 and a lot number of 8512801270. The affected products have a best-by date of November 13, 2024, and were distributed between October 9 and October 13, 2024, specifically to Costco locations in Florida.

Listeria monocytogenes is known to cause listeriosis, a severe infection that can result in serious health complications or even death, especially among vulnerable populations such as pregnant individuals, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. Although no illnesses have been reported in connection with this product, consumers are advised to check their freezers for these recalled items.

Costco is urging customers who purchased this product to return it for a full refund.

For your safety, the FDA reminds consumers that Listeria can be found in a variety of foods, particularly raw or smoked seafood, unpasteurized dairy products, and deli meats. If you suspect you may have consumed contaminated food, please consult with a healthcare professional.

Stay safe and informed by regularly checking for updates on food recalls from reliable sources.

Related links:

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The FDA Issued a Class I Recall on Costco’s Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon https://www.foodandwine.com/costco-kirkland-signature-smoked-salmon-class-i-recall-listeria-monocytogenes-8780336

https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/listeria-listeriosis

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Groundbreaking for a Sustainable Future: LA Metro’s Southeast Gateway Line Light Rail Project

Arthur Daemmrich, Arizona State University

President Joe Biden was inaugurated in January 2021 amid a devastating pandemic, with over 24 million COVID-19 cases and more than 400,000 deaths in the U.S. recorded at that point.

Operation Warp Speed, initiated by the Trump administration in May 2020, meant an effective vaccine was becoming available. Biden quickly announced a plan to immunize 100 million Americans over the next three months. By the end of April 2021, 145 million Americans – nearly half the population – had received one vaccine dose, and 103 million were considered fully vaccinated. Science and technology policymakers celebrated this coordination across science, industry and government to address a real-world crisis as a 21st-century Manhattan Project.

From my perspective as a scholar of science and technology policy, Biden’s legacy includes structural, institutional and practical changes to how science is conducted. Building on approaches developed over the course of many years, the administration elevated the status of science in the government and fostered community participation in research.

Raising science’s profile in government

The U.S. has no single ministry of science and technology. Instead, agencies and offices across the executive branch carry out scientific research at several national labs and fund research by other institutions. By elevating the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to a Cabinet-level organization for the first time in its history, Biden gave the agency greater influence in federal decision-making and coordination.

Formally established in 1976, the agency provides the president and senior staff with scientific and technical advice, bringing science to bear on executive policies. Biden’s inclusion of the agency’s director in his Cabinet was a strong signal about the elevated role science and technology would play in the administration’s solutions to major societal challenges.

Under Biden, the Office of Science and Technology Policy established guidelines that agencies across the government would follow as they implemented major legislation. This included developing technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to address climate change, rebuilding America’s chip industry, and managing the rollout of AI technologies.

Instead of treating the ethical and societal dimensions of scientific and technological change as separate from research and development, the agency advocated for a more integrated approach. This was reflected in the appointment of social scientist Alondra Nelson as the agency’s first deputy director for science and society, and science policy expert Kei Koizumi as principal deputy director for policy. Ethical and societal considerations were added as evaluation criteria for grants. And initiatives such as the AI bill of rights and frameworks for research integrity and open science further encouraged all federal agencies to consider the social effects of their research.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy also introduced new ways for agencies to consult with communities, including Native Nations, rural Americans and people of color, in order to avoid known biases in science and technology research. For example, the agency issued government-wide guidance to recognize and include Indigenous knowledge in federal programs. Agencies such as the Department of Energy have incorporated public perspectives while rolling out atmospheric carbon dioxide removal technologies and building new hydrogen hubs.

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Use-inspired research

A long-standing criticism of U.S. science funding is that it often fails to answer questions of societal importance. Members of Congress and policy analysts have argued that funded projects instead overly emphasize basic research in areas that advance the careers of researchers.

In response, the Biden administration established the technology, innovation and partnerships directorate at the National Science Foundation in March 2022.

The directorate uses social science approaches to help focus scientific research and technology on their potential uses and effects on society. For example, engineers developing future energy technologies could start by consulting with the community about local needs and opportunities, rather than pitching their preferred solution after years of laboratory work. Genetic researchers could share both knowledge and financial benefits with the communities that provided the researchers with data.

Fundamentally, “use-inspired” research aims to reconnect scientists and engineers with the people and communities their work ultimately affects, going beyond publication in a journal accessible only to academics.

The technology, innovation and partnerships directorate established initiatives to support regional projects and multidisciplinary partnerships bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs and community organizations. These programs, such as the regional innovation engines and convergence accelerator, seek to balance the traditional process of grant proposals written and evaluated by academics with broader societal demand for affordable health and environmental solutions. This work is particularly key to parts of the country that have not yet seen visible gains from decades of federally sponsored research, such as regions encompassing western North Carolina, northern South Carolina, eastern Tennessee and southwest Virginia.

Community-based scientific research

The Biden administration also worked to involve communities in science not just as research consultants but also as active participants.

Scientific research and technology-based innovation are often considered the exclusive domain of experts from elite universities or national labs. Yet, many communities are eager to conduct research, and they have insights to contribute. There is a decades-long history of citizen science initiatives, such as birdwatchers contributing data to national environmental surveys and community groups collecting industrial emissions data that officials can use to make regulations more cost effective.

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Going further, the Biden administration carried out experiments to create research projects in a way that involved community members, local colleges and federal agencies as more equal partners.

For example, the Justice40 initiative asked people from across the country, including rural and small-town Americans, to identify local environmental justice issues and potential solutions.

The National Institutes of Health’s ComPASS program funded community organizations to test and scale successful health interventions, such as identifying pregnant women with complex medical needs and connecting them to specialized care.

And the National Science Foundation’s Civic Innovation Challenge required academic researchers to work with local organizations to address local concerns, improving the community’s technical skills and knowledge.

Frontiers of science and technology policy

Researchers often cite the 1945 report Science: The Endless Frontier, written by former Office of Scientific Research and Development head Vannevar Bush, to describe the core rationales for using American taxpayer money to fund basic science. Under this model, funding science would lead to three key outcomes: a secure national defense, improved health, and economic prosperity. The report, however, says little about how to go from basic science to desired societal outcomes. It also makes no mention of scientists sharing responsibility for the direction and impact of their work.

The 80th anniversary of Bush’s report in 2025 offers an opportunity to move science out into society. At present, major government initiatives are following a technology push model that focuses efforts on only one or a few products and involves little consideration of consumer and market demand. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that consumer or societal pull, which attracts development of products that enhance quality of life, is key to successful uptake of new technologies and their longevity.

Future administrations can further advance science and address major societal challenges by considering how ready society is to take up new technologies and increasing collaboration between government and civil society.

Arthur Daemmrich, Professor of Practice in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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