FDA Urged to Stop Marketing of “Nic Lite” Bottled Water Containing Nicotine

Washington, DC — The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Public Citizen Health Research Group today wrote to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to urge the agency to immediately stop the marketing of “Nic Lite,” a bottled water containing significant amounts of highly addictive nicotine. Each 8-ounce bottle of Nik Lite contains the same amount of nicotine as two cigarettes. The letter from the organizations urges the FDA to immediately initiate enforcement action against the manufacturer, Nico Worldwide, Inc.

The FDA informed Nico Worldwide, Inc. on June 29, 2006, that Nic Lite is an unapproved new drug, not a dietary supplement, yet the company continues to mislead consumers regarding the product. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Public Citizen also urged the FDA to investigate whether Nico Worldwide, Inc. should be prosecuted criminally.

The letter states “Nico Worldwide has continually and willfully flouted FDA’s consistent rulings that bottled water containing nicotine is a drug, not a dietary supplement, … and has continued to mislead consumers regarding the nature and safety of Nic Lite.”