On Tuesday, the FDA cleared applications from 22nd Century Group for its Moonlight and Moonlight Menthol cigarettes, both products contain less nicotine than their peers, which the FDA hopes will help reduce the number of people addicted to nicotine.
Moonlight and Moonlight Menthol have nicotine content between 0.2 to 0.7 mg per cigarette. The new cigarettes compare with traditional cigarettes, which contain 10 to 14 milligrams mg each.
Although these products have been cleared by the FDA to be legally sold on the market, they have not, however, been verified as safe or “FDA-approved.”
“With the authorization of these products, the FDA will evaluate new available data regarding real-world use of these products through postmarketing records and reports as required in the marketing order,” wrote the FDA in a press release.
According to CNBC, “Shares of 22nd Century surged more than 30% to $1.08 a share on Tuesday. The company’s stock has dropped 58% this year.”