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.

Mongolia recently confirmed a suspected case of bubonic plague after a bacteriological laboratory delivered positive results. The National Center for Zoonotic Diseases confirmed on Friday that the case belongs to Mongolia's western Khovd province.

Mongolia Confirms First Human Case Of Bubonic Plague

According to reports, the patient contracted the infection after eating marmot meat during a visit to Ulaankhus soum in neighbouring Bayan-Ulgii province.

Mongolia's first confirmed case of bubonic plague has prompted officials to issue warnings against hunting and eating marmots, a known source of the deadly disease which is also considered a delicacy in the country.

The warnings also stated that individuals must avoid all forms of contact with the rodent, including handling their meat or internal organs. It also said avoid contact with sick or dead rodents as it could significantly increase the risk of infection.

The National Center for Zoonotic Diseases says 17 of Mongolia's 21 provinces are considered high risk regions for plague as the bacterium persists in wildlife.

Also read: What Was The Pseudo-Tuberculosis Like 'Syndrome K' Saved Thousand Lives During World War II?

Why Bubonic Plague Still Lurks In Mongolia?

The Black Death devastated Europe in the 14th century. Even today, a few countries still see cases of plague from time to time.

Humans typically get infected through flea bites from infected rodents, handling and close contact with infected animals and eating undercooked or raw marmot meat, which has been linked to several cases in Mongolia.

Mongolia has reported human plague cases to the World Health Organization since the 1980s. Sporadic infections continue to occur almost every year, particularly in the country's western and northern provinces.

The disease still lives centuries after it was eradicated because it is entrenched in wildlife rather than spreading continuously between people.

Humans are usually infected after being bitten by infected fleas or through hunting, skinning, or eating infected marmots.

Studies show that nearly 60% of Mongolia's reported plague cases since 1998 have been linked to close contact with infected marmots, highlighting why authorities repeatedly warn against hunting and consuming the animals.

Also read: How To Get Rid Of Fleas In Your House And Stop Them From Infecting Your Pets

Several infamous incidents related to the disease have sparked headlines in the last few years.

In 2019, a married couple died after eating raw marmot meat.

In 2020, a teenager also died after eating marmot meat, prompting temporary travel restrictions and heightened surveillance.

The latest confirmed human case in July 2026 follows the same familiar pattern.

Mongolia's challenge is not a new outbreak but an enduring zoonotic disease that resurfaces whenever humans come into contact with infected wildlife.

Where Else Does The Plague Still Exist?

Plague remains endemic in several parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and Peru report the highest number of human cases globally. Since the 1990s, most reported cases have occurred in Africa.

Madagascar experiences seasonal plague almost every year, typically between September and April. The country drew international attention during a major 2017 outbreak, which caused more than 2,500 suspected, probable, and confirmed cases and over 200 deaths.

In the United States, plague is rare but has never disappeared. An average of about seven human cases are reported annually, mostly in rural parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Nevada.

In 2026, Arizona reported its first human plague case in Apache County in more than a decade.

China has also reported occasional isolated human infections, particularly in Inner Mongolia.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expanding at an alarming pace, with confirmed infections nearing 3,000 and deaths exceeding 1,300, prompting the United Nations to warn that the virus is "spreading like wildfire" across eastern parts of the country.

The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo ebolavirus, has become the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic. Unlike Zaire strain, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments specifically for Bundibugyo Ebola, making containment and management more challenging.

UN Says DRC Outbreak Is Spreading "Like Wildfire"

UN humanitarian officials have described the outbreak as one of the most severe public health emergencies. "The outbreak is spreading like wildfire," UN officials warned recently, highlighting that conflict, population displacement and attacks on healthcare facilities are preventing rapid containment efforts.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly warned that the outbreak is becoming increasingly difficult to control.

According to WHO, a bunch of new infections cannot be linked to known transmission chains, indicating that the virus is spreading silently within communities.

Contact tracing remains inadequate to interrupt transmission, while insecurity and misinformation continue to hamper response efforts.

Also read: Ebola Scare In The UK After Humanitarian Worker Monitored In London Hospital; Here's what Happened

Health workers have also demonstrated strikes in some areas over unpaid dues, further disrupting patient care and containment efforts.

WHO has stressed that the global public health risk remains low, as Ebola spreads only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals. However, the regional risk remains high because of active movement across borders.

Armed conflict in eastern DRC has limited access to affected communities, while attacks on health facilities, shortages of medical supplies, delayed laboratory testing and public distrust have slowed efforts to isolate patients, trace contacts, and contain the outbreak.

Hope Emerges As First Human Receives Experimental Bundibugyo Ebola Vaccine

Also read: Ebola Outbreak In Congo: UN Warns Frontline Responders As Cases Surface In New Areas

Amid the worsening outbreak, researchers have reached an important scientific milestone in vaccination. The first human volunteer has received an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, marking the world's first Phase I clinical trial.

The study, led by the University of Oxford, will evaluate the vaccine's safety by studying its ability to trigger an immune response in 50 healthy adults.

The vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 BDBV, uses the same viral vector platform that was employed for the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Professor Katrina Pollock, chief investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group, described the launch as "an important milestone" in the effort to develop protection against a virus for which no licensed vaccine currently exists.

Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya also welcomed the development, noting that although early-stage trials will not immediately help affected communities battle the current outbreak, they are critical for building better tools against future epidemics.

WHO notes that currently approved Ebola vaccines, including Ervebo, are designed to protect against the Zaire ebolavirus, not the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the ongoing outbreak. Researchers are also in the process to determine whether existing vaccines may offer partial cross-protection while Bundibugyo-specific vaccines continue to be developed.

Alongside vaccine research, WHO and international partners have launched clinical trials in the DRC to evaluate experimental therapies, including the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and antiviral drug remdesivir, in patients infected with the Bundibugyo virus. Researchers hope these studies will identify effective treatment options for future outbreaks.

A Florida man has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that medical advice provided by ChatGPT nearly cost him his life after the chatbot repeatedly discouraged him from seeking medical care.

Scott Winters, a former pastor, filed the lawsuit in San Francisco County Superior Court, claiming ChatGPT repeatedly advised him against seeking medical help as he experienced symptoms leading up to a near-fatal pulmonary embolism—a sudden and dangerous blockage in an artery in the lungs.

"ChatGPT-4o frequently opined on and evaluated Scott's physical condition, conveying the authority and confidence of a medical professional rendering a clinical assessment and treatment recommendation, despite not having the qualifications to do so," the lawsuit states.

Winters' lawyers further allege that the platform "repeatedly and insistently misdiagnosed" him while drawing on previous discussions about religion to reassure him that he would recover.

What Does The Lawsuit Allege?

Also read: AI Cannot Replace Doctors, It Can Only Complement, Says Dr Santosh Sivaranjani

According to the lawsuit, Winters became a regular ChatGPT user and gradually came to rely on the chatbot for medical advice, resisting repeated efforts by family members and friends to persuade him to visit a hospital.

Weeks before becoming critically ill, he consulted ChatGPT about recurring dizzy spells and "bouts of blood pressure instability."

The lawsuit claims that in one response, ChatGPT advised Winters to remain in the recliner chair to which he had become "mainly confined to" because of his worsening health.

Court documents state that Winters later suffered a "massive pulmonary embolism due to multiple blood clots in both of his lungs that brought him to the brink of death, one that his doctors stated was likely brought on because of his immobility."

Winters is seeking financial damages and is asking the court to require OpenAI to implement "reasonable safeguards that protect other users from harm."

ChatGPT Not Intended For Medical Care

Read More: Women Turning to AI for Health Detection: Helpful Tool or Risky Trend?

Earlier this year, OpenAI launched a new ChatGPT Health feature in the US that can analyze users' medical records to provide more personalised responses, although campaigners have raised privacy concerns.

At the time, OpenAI said more than 230 million people ask ChatGPT questions about their health and wellbeing every week. In a blog post, the company said ChatGPT Health offers "enhanced privacy to protect sensitive data."

"ChatGPT is not a doctor and should never be used as a substitute for medical care, diagnosis or treatment," OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told CBS News, reacting to allegations.

He added: "AI can make that experience better by helping them find clearer answers, organize their questions and prepare for conversations with medical professionals."

ChatGPT's terms of use state that users should not treat the chatbot as a "sole source of truth," particularly for decisions that could "have a legal or material impact on that person, such as making credit, educational, employment, housing, insurance, legal, medical, or other important decisions about them."

Other Health-Related Lawsuits

This is not the first lawsuit OpenAI has faced over users' health and safety.

In May, a Texas couple whose son died from an overdose after seeking information about drugs from ChatGPT sued OpenAI, alleging he would still be alive if the company had not "bypassed safety guards."