The Houston Health Department supports the Federal Drug Administration’s plan to lower the level of nicotine in cigarettes.
The change could save millions of lives by reducing the addictiveness of the deadly habit.“The long-term positive public health impact of this plan is extraordinary,” said Dr. David Persse, City of Houston Local Health Authority. “Making cigarettes less additive would not only serve as a catalyst for weaning current smokers off the habit, it would also help prevent those experimenting with cigarettes from getting hooked.”The FDA estimates about 5 million more people would quit smoking within the first year of the change.
About 15% of Americans smoke, contributing to more than 480,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States.
“Smokers are not the only people affected by the overwhelming pain and suffering caused by tobacco use,” Dr. Persse continued. “The emotional agony of those who see the lives of their loved ones slowly slip away is heartbreaking.”For more information about the FDA proposal, visit www.fda.gov.