The chief executive of Philip Morris International has said he is “extremely encouraged” by the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent proposal to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes and nudge smokers toward less harmful alternatives such as e-cigarettes, according to a story by Toni Clarke for Reuters.
The FDA’s announcement was “one of the best articulated positions in many years”, Andre Calantzopoulos was quoted as saying during an interview on Monday.
Calantzopoulos challenged the view of some tobacco control experts that the industry would fight the FDA’s proposal, in court if needed.
He said that lowering nicotine levels was only one part of the proposed policy. The agency had acted also to make life easier for e-cigarette manufacturers.
“I don’t think the issue requires litigation or anything of this nature,” Calantzopoulos said.
“It requires dialogue in order to see what the feasibility is, and most importantly, how all these measures are phased in.”
Clarke’s piece is at: http://www.euronews.com/2017/08/22/philip-morris-international-ceo-cheers-us-fda-tobacco-proposal.