How can you make cigarettes safer? Try the FDA way. A new bill or legislation about to pass the senate Wednesday, will regulate the amount of nicotine, tar and other injurious components present in the cigarettes. This should render the cigarettes relatively safer to smoke.
As of now, FDA does not have a whole lot of authority over the cigarette manufacturing companies in US. However, with this legal step, FDA will have more say. They will also have a say in what kind of stuff companies can put in the package.
Harmful chemicals in cigarettes:
Currently cigarettes have some 4000 harmful chemicals that cause lung cancer and other health problems. According to stats, about 40 of these chemicals cause cancer. The burley tobacco used in American cigarettes, is especially high in nitrosamines.
Acetaldehyde is what makes cigarettes more addictive. This kind of stuff is produced when sugar added to tobacco gets burned .
Couple of very toxic chemicals Cadmium and lead are present in Cigarettes. These levels vary from place to place due to the environmental conditions.
The New Tobacco bill details
* The new law will make FDA the final authority.FDA will finalize the amounts of nicotine, tar, etc. present in the cigarettes from now on.
* The new bill about to be passed gives FDA scientists a lot of power regarding altering the materials that compose cigarettes. The bill states:
You have the power to require changes in tobacco products in whatever ways you believe
* The legislation will prevent cigarette manufacturing companies from messing around with the levels of harmful products. Previously the companies would mess with the levels of toxic products so that it becomes easier to start and harder to quit. I think the scientists should work towards putting in some kind of chemical that would make smokers quit smoking altogether.
With this bill, hopefully companies will now reduce the amount of harmful materials in the cigarettes. If they don’t, I am sure FDA will. This will hopefully cut the American cancer rate by half. At least that’s what the experts predict.
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