The Food and Drug Administration has jettisoned a 2017 proposal to cut nicotine content in cigarettes to near nonaddictive levels.
The rule was part of the Office of Management and Budget’s Spring 2019 Unified Agenda, which shows the rules the administration is working on, but was missing from the fall version of the agenda published Wednesday.
“It is important to note that just because previously identified regulations were removed from the Unified Agenda, that does not mean the agency does not consider them a priority or will not continue to work on their development,” FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum told the Washington Examiner.
The proposal in question applies to regular cigarettes. The Trump administration is also wrestling with e-cigarettes. Wednesday’s update comes just days after the administration reportedly backed away from plans to ban the sale of flavored vaping liquids, disappointing anti-smoking groups such as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
The nicotine concentration rules would have dealt a considerable blow to the tobacco industry. The administration also previously maintained that it “would have significant public health benefits for youth, young adults, and adults, as well as potentially vast economic benefits.”
