22nd Century Group, Inc.’s Very Low Nicotine Cigarettes Reduce Smoking And Are Now Associated With Reduced Alcohol Use

CLARENCE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT:XXII), a plant biotechnology company that is a leader in tobacco harm reduction, announced today that the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research has published a new independent study concluding that switching to the Company’s Very Low Nicotine cigarettes may lead not only to a reduction in smoking, but also to a reduction in alcohol use. This study employed 22nd Century’s proprietary SPECTRUM® research cigarettes and was funded by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

“…regulation reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes may reduce alcohol use specifically through its effects on nicotine and cigarette exposure.”

The Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research study employed data collected as a part of the landmark study by Donny et al. that was published in the October 2015 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. Led by Sarah S. Dermody, the study closely followed the alcohol consumption behavior of 403 study participants, and concluded that a national “nicotine reduction standard could further improve public health by reducing alcohol use among individuals who reduce their nicotine exposure and smoking rate. Specifically, VLNC [Very Low Nicotine Content] cigarette use significantly reduced nicotine exposure, which, in turn, was associated with reduced alcohol use.”

This important clinical study lays to rest the thought that one consequence of reducing nicotine in cigarettes to a very low level could be an unintended increase in the amount of alcohol consumed, especially among heavy or binge drinkers. In contrast, the study suggested that a reduction in nicotine to very low levels may actually have two positive effects on public health – a reduction in smoking and a reduction in alcohol consumption. The study adds “…regulation reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes may reduce alcohol use specifically through its effects on nicotine and cigarette exposure.”

22nd Century’s Vice President for Plant Biotechnology, Dr. Paul Rushton explained, “The evidence now clearly shows that switching to a very low nicotine cigarette from a normal nicotine cigarette has a multitude of health benefits. Not only do patients reduce their smoking rates, but Dermody’s new study suggests that, these same patients are likely to reduce their alcohol consumption as well. Best of all, patients experience both of these benefits before they even try to quit smoking.”

Dermody, et al. concluded by reporting:

“…this study demonstrated that a reduced nicotine product standard could positively impact related health risk behaviors like drinking. Among many smokers, it appears that reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes would not lead to compensatory drinking. Instead, over time through a combination of reduced nicotine exposure and smoking behavior, a broader positive impact on public health may be observed through corresponding reductions in alcohol use.”

About 22nd Century Group, Inc.

22nd Century is a plant biotechnology company focused on technology which allows it to increase or decrease the level of nicotine in tobacco plants and the level of cannabinoids in cannabis plants through genetic engineering and plant breeding. The Company’s primary mission is to reduce the harm caused by smoking. 22nd Century currently owns or exclusively controls more than 200 issued patents and more than 50 pending patent applications around the world. Visit www.xxiicentury.com for more information.

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