The Debate Over Nicotine Rules: Trump vs. Biden
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about rules on nicotine and tobacco. These rules were introduced during President Biden's time in office but might be rolled back by former President Trump. Trump's actions could undo a significant regulation intended to make certain tobacco products less addictive by reducing the nicotine content.
What Biden's FDA Proposed
Under Biden's administration, the FDA suggested a new rule that was considered very bold. They wanted cigarettes and some other tobacco products to have no more than 0.7 milligrams of nicotine per gram of tobacco. The idea was to make the nicotine level low enough so that it wouldn't cause or keep addiction going. Although the FDA said this rule wouldn’t mean banning cigarettes, some people didn’t agree and are happy that Trump might cancel this rule.
Trump's Possible Impact
Many critics of Biden’s tobacco policies believe they led to unnecessary regulations and a rise in illegal tobacco sales, including vapes from China. Rich Marianos, a former assistant director of the ATF and now executive director of the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network, expressed his hope that Trump would end what he calls a "failed era" by stopping these regulations. He thinks focusing on strong enforcement rather than bans is a better approach.
Concerns from Business Leaders
Peter Brennan, who leads the New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association, shared his worries too. He said that the rules against tobacco hurt small businesses because they move sales from stores to the black market. Brennan is hopeful that Trump will stop what he views as a harmful plan to ban all cigarettes.
Recent Actions by Trump
Since returning to office, Trump has already made some moves in the tobacco area. He stopped a plan that would have banned menthol cigarettes, a plan that the Biden administration wanted to implement. Later, the FDA’s Tobacco Director Brian King was removed from his position. King was seen as a major player in the push to ban menthol cigarettes and the broader fight against nicotine.
A Republican strategist who helped in Trump's 2024 campaign praised these actions. He believes that Trump's next step should be to officially cancel the Biden-era rule on lowering nicotine levels in products, which would mark an end to Biden’s anti-nicotine efforts.
The Political Impact
Some believe that Biden's strong stance on nicotine, and the increase in illegal vapes, might have hurt his campaign, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris’s position. A source close to the Trump administration thinks that if Trump can reverse Biden’s rule on nicotine, it would be a significant win for his supporters.
This ongoing debate highlights the different approaches to tobacco and nicotine regulation between Biden and Trump, showing how policy decisions can have broad effects not just on health and business, but also on politics.
Just my two cents. 
