--- title: "Gene-Edited, Less Addictive Tobacco Could Help You Quit Smoking" description: "A team of German scientists have figured out a way to grow tobacco plants that contain 99.7 percent less nicotine. It could help millions of smokers quit." date: "2019-06-25" modified: "2019-06-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/gene-edited-less-addictive-tobacco-smoking" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "cigarettes" - "e-cigarettes" - "smoking" - "the digest" - "tobacco" --- # Gene-Edited, Less Addictive Tobacco Could Help You Quit Smoking ![A team of German scientists have figured out a way to grow tobacco plants that contain 99.7 percent less nicotine. It could help millions of smokers quit.]() *\Image: Creative Commons/Victor Tangermann\* ## CRISPR Tobacco A team of scientists from the Technical University of Dortmund, Germany have figured out a way to grow tobacco plants that contain 99.7 percent less nicotine. They used the popular gene-editing technique CRISPR to disable six enzymes in the plant that aid in the production of the addictive stimulant. According to the researchers, the new version has just 0.04 milligrams of nicotine per gram — almost undetectable. Their [research was published]() by the *Plant Biotechnology Journal* earlier this month. ## Quitting the Habit While low-nicotine cigarettes have previously been shown to be just as harmful thanks to other substances and carcinogens, as the [*New Scientist* points out](), they might still [help people]() quit the habit. [Studies]() have shown that smokers never ended up smoking more when switching to low-nicotine cigarettes to compensate. It's an interesting approach to helping smokers quit in a field that's becoming [increasingly dominated]() by e-cigarettes. But whether either method is actually effective or healthier is debatable. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [is convinced]() that mandating the reduction of nicotine levels in cigarettes could be the answer. The government body is exploring policies that would introduce new product standards with lower nicotine. **READ MORE:** [Non-addictive CRISPR-edited tobacco could help eliminate smoking]() \[*New Scientist*\] **More on smoking:** *[Apps to Help Quit Smoking Are Selling Your Data]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()