Zeller credited Gottlieb for advocating for the nicotine regulation within the Trump White House, after the Obama administration had fallen short. Obama officials had promised Zeller they would back rules to curb nicotine and menthol.

Temple pulmonologist Dr. Jamie Garfield says the proposed regulation is an effective harm reduction strategy, but suggests it will take a significant lobbying effort for it to go into effect.

A proposed FDA rule would set nicotine levels on tobacco products at less than half the current average and could save millions of lives, proponents say.