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Department of Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said a decision to ban menthol cigarettes “will take quite some time.”
CNN
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U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement Friday that a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes in the U.S. “will take a significant amount of time,” a decision that poses political risks for President Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election. said to be delayed. .
“This rule has received historic attention, and we received a tremendous amount of feedback during the public comment period, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movements,” Becerra said. “It's clear that there are still talks to be had and that will take more time.”
Government officials declined to provide details on what the current timeline for a final decision would be, saying they needed to speak with more groups and address concerns raised. Ta. “It's difficult to schedule on that,” the official said.
All cigarette flavors were banned in 2009, but menthol was excluded after industry lobbying. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it would ban the popular mint flavor for the first time in April 2022, with a deadline of August 2023. In October, the FDA sent a final rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. step. It's still “pending”.
The FDA had set a deadline for action on the rule in March, but after no action, a coalition of civil rights and medical groups sued the agency this month.
Menthol cigarettes have become a key issue for Mr. Biden, who enters an election year worried about declining turnout among black voters.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, minorities, especially Black people, are targeted by tobacco companies' menthol marketing, and menthol cigarettes contribute to widening health disparities.
Some civil rights leaders with ties to the tobacco industry have expressed concerns to the White House that the ban would criminalize menthol cigarettes and lead to more dangerous encounters with police. Meanwhile, the NAACP and Congressional Black Caucus, along with dozens of public health experts, supported the ban, saying it would save hundreds of thousands of Black lives.
The FDA's proposed rules would ban the manufacture and sale of menthol, but would not crack down on smokers themselves.
Proponents of the ban said they were upset by the delay.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement Friday that the move is “a blow to the Black community, which continues to be disproportionately targeted and disproportionately murdered by Big Tobacco.” Let me be clear: Black lives matter should not be used as a pawn to get people to vote, but rather as a platform for our nation's leaders to refuse to resign. That means you should. The NAACP is outraged and disgusted, but we are undaunted. ”
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, said in a statement that it has been two years since the administration released a “proposed rule supported by extensive scientific evidence,” adding, “No action will be taken. “This allows the tobacco industry to continue to aggressively market these products and continue to attract customers.” And keep new users hooked. ”
Erica Seward, a spokeswoman for the American Lung Association, said in a statement that the decision to delay action is “deeply concerning and based on the science and the NAACP that these rules save lives and prevent lung disease in children.” “It does not reflect the response of civil rights groups, including the United Nations.” Smoke a cigarette. The Lung Association is deeply disturbed by President Biden's failure to follow the science and deliver on his promises to reduce deaths and cancer. ”
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Dr. Mignonne Guy, an associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and a member of the FDA's Tobacco Products Advisory Committee, said the delay was “unconscionable” and driven by politics.
“We must question the judgment, motives, and incentives of individuals who claim to represent the Black community in opposing a ban that would save hundreds of thousands of lives now and in the future,” she said. Stated.
Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, disease, and disability in the United States. More than 480,000 people die each year in this country, and it's not just smokers who die. According to the CDC, more than 41,000 people die each year in the United States from second-hand smoke.
According to the Tobacco Free Kids Campaign, banning menthol could save up to 650,000 lives over the next 40 years, one-third of which would be in black communities.
CNN’s Meg Tyrrell, Brenda Goodman, Jen Christensen and Rene Marsh contributed to this report.