The present invention is directed to a method of reducing the nicotine content of a tobacco plant to less than addictive levels. The method includes the step of administering to the tobacco plant an effective amount of a nicotine reducing agent sufficient to reduce the level of nicotine in the tobacco plant so that the resulting nicotine content in the plant is reduced to a level wherein a tobacco product produced from the plant will yield a non-addictive level of nicotine in the central nervous system blood plasma of the user. The present invention is further directed to tobacco plants prepared by the method.
Cut tobacco used for processing cigarettes or other smoking articles is reacted with an agent such as an oxidant or subject to an extraction/removal process for a suitable period of time, dependent upon the nicotine content, the oxidant employed and the reaction temperature or extraction condition, or distillation, such that the nicotine embedded in the leaf is then converted into nicotinic acid or niacin. Sufficient conversion or extraction or distilled is allowed to occur so that either no nicotine or only a minimal amount of free nicotine remains in the smoking article. Upon intake into the lungs and hence the blood stream of the smoker or other tobacco user, the smoker or tobacco user will result in a blood plasma content of nicotine ranging from 0 to less than about 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood plasma. This effectively insures that the addictive process in smoking or other tobacco intake cannot he initiated or maintained. Nicotinic acid or niacin is not an addictive component of the tobacco.
Dr. Berger graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1962. He works in Philadelphia, PA and specializes in Psychiatry. Dr. Berger is affiliated with Pennsylvania Hospital.
Twin Cities, MNI've been many kinds of engineers in my time ... Electrical (undergrad), Software (graduate), and now Systems.
Dad to two. Friends, a few.