Cigarettes with ultralow nicotine levels are now being called the game-changer in the fight against smoking. If you are having trouble in quitting smoking, then, it is for you, that soon the Biden White House is expected to formally propose a plan that will order cigarette nicotine levels to be reduced, reports The Washington Post. For now though, it has been a failure, as these cigarettes, also known as VLN cigarettes that stands for very low nicotine are only available in 5,100 stores in 26 states. This is a very small fraction of the overall market for cigarettes. The company that makes it, 22nd Century, is struggling not because of the low supply, but also from the advocates who have long believed slashing nicotine levels altogether.

The Advent and ideation

Nicotine is a chemical that is produced naturally from tobacco that makes the cigarette and also keeps people hooked. While it is believed that it makes people alert, and get the "hit" to keep them going, it exposes the users to harmful substances, carcinogens, and increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and other illness.

Ultralow-nicotine cigarettes, like the VLN brand, contain about 95% less nicotine than the regular cigarettes. The idea is quite simple: without the addictive grip of nicotine, smokers will find it easier to quit. Research too has shown some promise. For instance, the studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse revealed that very low nicotine cigarettes reduced addiction potential significantly without having users to increase their smoking frequency. However, the problem is, why would anyone choose for a low-nicotine that does not make them feel the same way, when the high-nicotine cigarette is right next to it, making them feel the same way, with the same alertness, sold at the same price.

“It’s very hard to imagine someone actively choosing to continue to use a low-nicotine product for the same price when a high-nicotine product is right next to it,” said Eric Donny, a Wake Forest University School of Medicine nicotine researcher.

No wonder, the experiment with low nicotine product by Philip Morris' Next cigarettes in the 1980s and Vector Tobacco's Quest brand in the early 2000s, flopped.

FDA's Role in the Push

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has supported the development of such products, even allowing VLN cigarettes to be marketed as lower-risk options. However, these products remain a niche market, available in only a fraction of U.S. stores.

Recently, the Biden administration has considered a bold step—mandating a dramatic reduction in nicotine levels for all cigarettes sold in the United States. Supporters believe this move could save millions of lives, while critics, including tobacco companies, warn of potential unintended consequences.

What Could Be The Challenges?

Resistance from Big Tobacco Companies: They could argue that slashing nicotine levels could backfire. Their claim is, smokers will turn to black markets or smoke more to satisfy their cravings, which may lead to greater exposure to harmful substances.

Consumer Reluctance: History is proof to the instances of smokers being hesitant to embrace the low-nicotine products.

Political Hurdle: It may face political roadblocks, as under the Trump administration, plans to cut nicotine were shelved.

Could Low-Nicotine Cigarettes Be The Solution?

Advocates believe that ultralow-nicotine cigarettes could be a game-changer, comparing them to decaf coffee or non-alcoholic beer—products that reduce harm while offering a similar experience.

Some experts warn that a black market for traditional cigarettes could undermine these efforts. They also stress the need for safer alternatives, such as vaping products, to support smokers transitioning away from traditional cigarettes.

People working night shifts were nearly twice as likely to develop long COVID, according to a new study.

Researchers at Spain’s ISGlobal said no previous study had examined whether disruption of the body’s biological clock could increase the risk of developing long COVID.

“Our findings suggest that circadian disruption plays a role in the transition from acute infection to persistent symptoms,” said Manolis Kogevinas, an ISGlobal researcher.

Published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, the study also found that chronic insomnia further increased the risk, highlighting the potential importance of healthy sleep habits in preventing long COVID and other post-acute infectious syndromes.

Night Shift Raises Long COVID Risk

Also read: Long COVID Patients May Face Brain Fog & Fatigue Due To Reduction In Dopamine? New Study Explains

The research team followed 2,941 adults in Catalonia between 2021 and 2023. Among the 1,899 participants who became infected with SARS-CoV-2, 284 developed long COVID during the two-year follow-up.

Long COVID was defined as persistent symptoms lasting more than three months after infection.

Compared with day workers, people who worked night shifts had an 88% higher risk of developing long COVID. This was after accounting for other factors, including vaccination history and chronic diseases.

The association was stronger among night workers with obesity.

Importantly, the increased risk was seen in both current and former night workers, suggesting that it may reflect longer-term effects of circadian disruption rather than short-term changes.

However, night-shift work was not associated with a higher risk of infection. This suggests that disruption of the biological clock may influence how the body recovers from infection rather than the likelihood of catching the virus.

Chronic Insomnia Further Raises Risk

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The researchers found that chronic insomnia independently increased the risk of long COVID by 42%, regardless of night shift work.

The two factors also appeared to have a synergistic effect. Night shift workers with chronic insomnia were 2.7 times more likely to develop long COVID than day workers without insomnia.

The biological mechanisms behind the association are not yet fully understood. Researchers noted that the time of day when the body encounters a pathogen may influence the immune response. Disruption of the biological clock may also impair the immune system’s ability to clear an infection.

Could Better Sleep Help Prevent Long COVID?

With insomnia becoming increasingly common, the researchers highlighted the need to better understand the short- and long-term effects of disturbed sleep on infection-related outcomes.

The findings suggest that sleep may be a potentially modifiable factor in reducing the risk of long COVID and other post-infectious conditions.

“Promoting healthy sleep habits and minimizing circadian disruption could represent simple, low-cost strategies to reduce the long-term consequences of viral infections, particularly among people who work night shifts,” Kogevinas said.

What is Long COVID?

Long COVID is a debilitating condition that can persist for months or even years after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Long COVID is an infection-associated chronic condition marked by fatigue, cognitive impairment, exercise intolerance, and multisystem dysfunction.

It has affected an estimated 400 million people worldwide and continues to have significant health, social, and economic consequences. Despite the ongoing risk, prevention strategies have received relatively little attention.

Indian scientists have developed tiny, light-responsive nanobots that could pave the way for more precise breast cancer treatment. The findings indicate that this approach could potentially reduce damage to healthy tissues during therapy.

Researchers from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, in collaboration with scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, have developed multifunctional nanobots that can move towards a light source and destroy cancer cells using a combination of heat and reactive oxygen species. The findings were published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

How Do The Nanobots Work?

The experimental nanobots are made of upconversion nanoparticles, which can respond to near-infrared (NIR) light. Unlike conventional light-driven systems that may require ultraviolet, NIR light has greater potential to penetrate tissue.

When exposed to a 980-nanometre NIR laser, the nanobots generate heat and show directional movements towards the light source. This is called phototaxis.

The researchers reported that the nanobots reached speeds of around 27 ± 7 micrometres per second under the tested conditions.

The team also coated the nanobots with folic acid. This helps them recognise breast cancer cells that have higher levels of folate receptors, improving their ability to target tumour cells.

At the tumour site, the nanobots use two mechanisms to attack cancer cells. Photothermal therapy generates localised heat, while photodynamic therapy produces reactive oxygen species that can damage and kill cancer cells.

“The field of fuel-free light-powered nanobots and microbots with stimulus-responsive behaviour can have crucial implications for biomedical research,” the researchers said in the study.

Also read: The Office Actress Lucy Davis Reveals Incurable Stage 4 Breast Cancer: 'It’s Too Late For Chemo'

Why Is This Important For Breast Cancer?

Chemotherapy remains an important part of breast cancer treatment, but its effects go beyond targeting tumour cells. Drugs circulating through the body can also affect healthy tissues, leading to side effects. Tumours may also develop resistance to the treatment.

The researchers say conventional nanomedicines often depend on passive accumulation inside tumours, which can limit penetration and control over exactly where treatment acts. The new method attempts to work with a navigation system managed externally by light.

Also read: Breastfeeding Can Help Reduce Mothers' Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Breast Cancer and More

What Did The Study Find?

The technology has so far been tested in laboratory cancer-cell models and in mice carrying breast tumours. The researchers reported significant inhibition of tumour-growth when the nanobots with folic acid function were combined with 980 nm laser irradiation.

Researchers say that this is still preclinical research and may need further examination and clinical trials.

The nanobots have not been established as a treatment for breast cancer patients, and a lot more research will be needed to gauge their safety, effectiveness, dosing and ability to successfully work in humans.

Also read: Don't Fear The Biopsy, Fear The Delay

Global Breast Cancer Burden

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, with steady increases in incidence over the last few decades. It accounts for around one in four cases of cancer and 15 per cent of cancer deaths in women, and is one of the leading causes of death in women under 50.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with around 59,400 new cases diagnosed annually and roughly 11,200 deaths each year. About one in seven women in the UK develops the disease in their lifetime, though survival rates are high, with nearly 90% surviving for five years or more.

A Chhattisgarh police constable who died during hospital treatment received an automated Ayushman Bharat message 42 days later congratulating him on his recovery and saying he was returning home. The incident left his family shocked who raised questions over patient-record updates.

What Happened?

Devnarayan Ram, 39, a police constable from Jashpur district, was admitted to Government Medical College Hospital in Ambikapur on June 26. He died during treatment on June 30. His family subsequently received his death certificate and performed his last rites.

However, on August 6, his wife Seema Kujur received an automated message on her husband’s registered mobile number under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

The message said, “We are happy that you have recovered and are returning home,” and thanked him for using the free healthcare services under Ayushman Bharat.

The portal showed June 26 as his admission date and August 6 as his discharge date, effectively keeping his hospital record active for 42 days after his death.

Also read: Healthcare's Biggest Challenge Is Not Clinical, It's Human

Family Seeks Probe

For Kujur, who is herself a nurse at a government hospital, the message was particularly distressing.

She said in a video message, “You can imagine what it means for a family to receive such a message for a person who has died. It causes immense pain.”

She also questioned how the system could remain unaware of her husband’s death for 42 days.

“I am a hospital employee, and even then, this happened to me. You can easily imagine what could happen to ordinary people, particularly poor and tribal families,” she said, demanding an inquiry.

Also read: Making IVF Affordable: Experts Push For Insurance Cover, Public Funding & Better Access To Fertility Care In India

Hospital's Response

Hospital authorities have denied that Ram’s Ayushman card was used to claim treatment benefits for 42 days after his death

According to the hospital, Ram was treated in the ICU from June 26 to June 30. Only ICU and blood-transfusion-related packages worth about ₹16,700 were blocked under Ayushman Bharat, and no additional package was blocked after his death.

Dr Shailendra Gupta of the Surguja district health department said allegations that the card had been used for 42 days were “completely incorrect.”

He said, “The amount was deducted only for the treatment provided during the patient's actual stay in the hospital. No additional amount was deducted."

Hospital officials said the problem occurred because the Ayushman claim was not closed promptly due to human error.

A data-entry operator allegedly delayed the process, and when the claim was finally closed on August 6, the system automatically generated the recovery and discharge message. The officials said that the operator has since been dismissed.

Also read: 'Let's Fix Our Food': India Launches New Policy To Fight Childhood Obesity, Boost Nutrition

What Is Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY?

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is Centre’s government-funded health assurance scheme, launched in 2018.

It provides health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation for eligible poor and vulnerable families.

The scheme is designed to provide cashless and paperless treatment and protect families from major out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

After the incident raised questions about timely update of patient's records, the hospital has reportedly written to the state seeking safeguards so that automated messages relating to discharge, referral or death are sent only after the patient’s actual status is verified.