Documentary backdrop image for The Nicotine War (2023)

202355 minPGdocumentary

The Nicotine War

202355 minPGdocumentary

David Kessler's tenure as FDA Commissioner highlights the agency's struggle to regulate the tobacco industry and expose nicotine manipulation by manufacturers.

Genres

Channel: FRONTLINE PBS | Official

The Nicotine War

2023• 55 minPG

Synopsis

David Kessler's tenure as FDA Commissioner highlights the agency's struggle to regulate the tobacco industry and expose nicotine manipulation by manufacturers.

Synopsis

David Kessler, the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, spearheaded a significant initiative to regulate the tobacco industry, which had evaded oversight for over three decades. The documentary highlights the FDA's investigation into cigarette manufacturers' manipulation of nicotine levels to maintain smoker addiction. It also explores the political challenges Kessler encountered during this pivotal period, illustrating the complexities of public health policy and the tobacco industry's resistance to regulation.

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