The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to unveil a nationwide ban on menthol cigarettes. The announcement is scheduled for Thursday, according to Politico, and will likely run into tobacco industry opposition that could delay enforcement for years.
The FDA’s move is in response to a North Carolina court case filed last year by public health groups. The lawsuit seeks to force the FDA to respond to a 2013 citizens petition requesting the prohibition of menthol cigarettes.
The Washington Post, which broke the story, explains that the ban resonates with President Biden’s effort to reduce health disparities between Black and white communities:
On menthol, African American health groups and researchers say it is clear that Blacks have been disproportionately hurt by the cigarettes, which studies show are more addictive and harder to stop using than non-menthol cigarettes. In the 1950s, only about 10 percent of Black smokers used menthol cigarettes. Today, that proportion is more than 85 percent, three times the rate for White smokers. African Americans die of tobacco-related illnesses, including cancer and heart disease, at higher rates than other groups, according to studies.
The Wall Street Journal explains additional impetus behind the move:
…menthols are harder to quit than regular cigarettes and likely pose a greater health risk. The [FDA] also found that menthols are likely associated with increased smoking initiation by young people because the cooling properties of menthol mask the harshness of cigarette smoke.
Menthol products represent more than a third of all cigarettes sold in the U.S. The FDA ban would also cover menthol-flavored cigarettes as well as manufactured cigars and cigarillos, which are popular among children and teens, according to The Wall Street Journal.
