Nicotine content in tobacco slashed by 40-50% at CMAP laboratory, says CSIR DG

The CSIR chief said a study showed that nicotine content in the plant is 40-50% lower.

The CMAP laboratory has slashed the nicotine content in tobacco by 40-50 per cent to mitigate its health impact, CSIR Director-General N Kalaiselvi said on Monday.

The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CMAP) laboratory has grown a plant with lower nicotine content, she told PTI on the sidelines of an event. "The end-user might have the joy of using tobacco but it would not be a threat to their health," she added. The CSIR chief said a study showed that nicotine content in the plant is 40-50 per cent lower.

The CMAP laboratory is now making attempts to reduce it further by 60-70 per cent. The CSIR worked on the project after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting last year, suggested looking at ways to reduce the health hazards of tobacco.