Nicotine is Addictive
The cigarette companies long understood the role of nicotine in cigarette design and smoking addiction. When the 1988 Surgeon General’s Report declared that people smoked due to nicotine addiction, public attitudes about smoking began to shift. While attacking the Surgeon General’s Report on nicotine addiction as irresponsible and unscientific, cigarette manufacturers began shifting their R&D efforts to develop alternatives to conventional cigarettes including those with lower levels of nicotine.
Very Low Nicotine Cigarettes
- In 1989 Philip Morris conducted a small test marketing study of its very low nicotine cigarette (Next Denic) made by using a new processing method to remove most of the nicotine from tobacco. The product was pulled from the test markets after a few months, even though the product generated substantial consumer trial.
- In 2003, Vector Tobacco (formerly Liggett & Meyers) introduced a very low nicotine cigarette (Quest 3) manufactured using its newly patented genetically modified tobacco.
- In 2015, 22nd Century Group, Inc. introduced Magic cigarettes using genetically modified tobaccos to
create a very low nicotine delivery product.