Federal officials have stressed that the ban could be finalized as soon as this year, but public health experts say the ban, once discussed within the Obama administration, remains under consideration. He said he was dissatisfied.
Cleveland Public Health Director David Margolius wrote in a text message that further delays would be “catastrophic.” About 35% of adults in metro Cleveland smoke cigarettes, more than three times the national average, and smoking is the number one cause of death. “15 years late”
Public health experts and civil rights groups have repeatedly urged President Biden to finalize the ban, which was originally planned for last summer but has been opposed by the tobacco industry. Political advisers have warned that banning products popular in black communities could cost Mr. Biden support and jeopardize votes in what is expected to be a close November election.
In 2009, Congress and the Obama administration banned other flavored cigarettes but left menthol products, which are smoked by about 19 million Americans, on the market. Cigarettes are disproportionately popular in Black communities, with more than 80% of Black smokers choosing menthol brands in 2020, compared to 34% of white smokers, according to data cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. chose the menthol brand. Public health officials say menthol cigarettes are particularly addictive because they enhance the effects of nicotine on the brain, creating a cooling sensation that makes the smoke less unpleasant and easier to smoke.
The Food and Drug Administration, which developed the ban, said it would continue to work on enforcing the rule, pending White House approval. Outside advocates say there is no evidence the ban would hurt Biden's re-election prospects and no clear evidence the ban would have any public health benefits.
“There is no reason to further delay a policy that has been studied for more than 12 years, is supported by overwhelming scientific evidence, and will save hundreds of thousands of lives,” said Yolonda C. Richardson, president and CEO of the campaign. said. Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of Tobacco-Free Kids and the NAACP, issued a joint statement this month. “Make no mistake about it: Delays cost lives, especially Black lives.”
Federal officials previously touted the effort as part of Biden's Cancer Moonshot initiative, which seeks to reduce the threat of cancer, the second leading cause of death in the United States.
The White House said in a March 2022 fact sheet that the planned menthol cigarette crackdown is aimed at “limiting the toll of death and disease caused by the highly addictive and dangerous cigarette products on the market today. This will be the most important regulatory action to date.” The White House said last year that the planned ban would prevent as many as 654,000 deaths over the next 40 years, including about 238,000 in Black communities. The FDA finalized the ban last year and sent it to the White House for final review.
But authorities delayed the ban to December 2023, missing a self-imposed deadline to finalize it in March. The African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council and two other anti-tobacco groups sued the FDA this month over the delay, accusing the federal agency of “unreasonably and unlawfully delaying” life-saving treatment.