22nd Century Group’s (Nasdaq

XXII) VLN Cigarettes with Reduced Nicotine Technology Ready to Ignite Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative

• Aligned with FDA and Biden Administration Important Initiative to Limit Nicotine Content in Cigarettes and Ban Menthol
• VLN Reduced Nicotine Content Cigarettes Are Designed Specifically to “Help You Smoke Less” and Reduce Exposure to Activities Known to Cause Cancer
• Exceptional Pilot Results in Chicago Lead to Expanding VLN Points of Sale in Chicago and State of Illinois
  

BUFFALO, N.Y., Sept. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XXII), a leading agricultural biotechnology company dedicated to improving health with reduced nicotine tobacco, hemp/cannabis, and hops advanced plant technologies, today announced that it is engaged to power President Biden’s plan to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years. The Company’s VLN King and VLN Menthol King 95% reduced nicotine content cigarettes are the first and only combustible cigarette designed specifically to “Help You Smoke Less”, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires to be printed right on the packaging. 22nd Century is expanding VLN points of sale in Chicago and the State of Illinois after seeing exceptional pilot results in Chicagoland. Distribution will begin in September through various channels via retail and distribution partnerships.

Under Biden’s initiative, the FDA has taken aggressive actions aimed at curtailing smoking, in particular the Agency’s pursuit to limit the amount of nicotine and ban menthol-flavored cigarettes. Every year, nearly 500,000 Americans die from smoking-related diseases. Smoking is the leading cause of cancer deaths, with more than 160,000 people perishing every year from cancers directly attributed to tobacco. Although nicotine itself is not the direct cause of most smoking-related diseases, addiction to nicotine in tobacco is the proximate cause of smoking related diseases including cancer. Thus, the magnitude of public health harm that is caused by tobacco is inextricably linked to its addictive nature.

“It is well understood that addiction to nicotine is the primary driver of smoking, leading to smoking related diseases such as cancer. Rather than just another nicotine replacement therapy, 22nd Century’s VLN cigarettes take a disruptive approach to help people smoke less by reducing the nicotine content to levels the FDA considers non-addictive. Numerous clinical studies sponsored by federal health agencies demonstrate that adult smokers can successfully smoke less and improve their health situation by using reduced nicotine cigarettes to first break the nicotine addiction cycle. By smoking less, adult smokers can reduce their exposure to activities known to cause cancer,” said James A. Mish, chief executive officer of 22nd Century Group.